The Journalism Salute

On this episode we're joined by Elaine Díaz Rodríguez. Elaine is the membership director for Tiny News Collective, a non-profit organization whose goal is to equip visionary news entrepreneurs in underserved communities to transform journalism from the ground up, making it more equitable, accessible and connected. She's been with them since last August. Prior to that she worked in a similar role for another organization, Local Independent Online News Publishers for a little more than 3 years. Before that she was a journalist in Cuba and executive director at Periodismo de Barrio, a newsroom that covered the intersection of climate, environment, and social justice. And she was a professor at Univrsidad de la Habana, with one of her classes being – social impact of new technology. We talked about working in journalism roles that emphasize coaching, what her experience running a newsroom in Cuba was like, and her advice for aspiring journalists. Elaine's salute: Amy Bushatz, Mat-Su Sentinel Subscribe to our newsletter here You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)

On this episode we're joined by Chalssea Kate Echegoyen and Karis Tsang. They are the editor in chief and the managing editor of The Varsitarian, the award-winning student newspaper at the University of Santo Tomas, the largest college in the Philippines. Chalssea and Karis described their paths to becoming journalists and explained the state of journalism in the Philippines. They provided examples of their work, including an award-winning issue that focused on protesting government corruption and how they handled an instance in which a coach and athletic director thought the newsroom was too negative in its coverage. Special thanks to one of their advisors, Felipe Salvosa, for coordinating this interview. A Nation Flooded With Corruption https://varsitarian.net/a-nation-flooded-with-corruption/ Their salute: All student journalists Subscribe to our newsletter here You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)

On this episode we're joined by Jen Russell. Jen is the founder of The Woodbury Warbler, a hyperlocal newsletter covering 5 municipalities in southern New Jersey. She's been producing the weekly newsletter for about a year. She has a full-time job too – she's a paralegal. She's also a fiber artist and digital artist. She is a graduate of Peirce College. Jen explained why she started the newsletter and why she's showing her work and keeping a running dialogue about it as she goes along. She explained her philosophy of news as conversation, not product and how everything she does has a singular focus. She also shared her plans for the future and how being a journalism outsider has given her the chance to look at everything through fresh eyes. A good episode for those thinking about starting their own news project. Jen's salute: The New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, NJ News Commons, and the Center for Cooperative Media Subscribe to our newsletter here You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)

On this episode we're joined by Jackie Llanos. Jackie is an immigration reporter for NOTUS, which stands for News of the United States, a newsroom that covers significant national issues and politics. Jackie has been with them for 6 months on a two-year fellowship. Previously she was a reporter in Florida for States Newsroom. She is a graduate of the University of Richmond. Jackie talked about covering immigration from the bureaucratic perspective, focusing on the legal and legislative system, as well as a story she did in her previous job about a U.S. citizen being taken and imprisoned by ICE, which she learned about through a Facebook group. Jackie's stories: U.S. citizen arrested by ICE https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/04/17/u-s-born-man-held-for-ice-under-floridas-new-anti-immigration-law/ How the immigration crackdown affects elder caretakers https://www.notus.org/immigration/trump-immigration-crackdown-tps-elder-caretakers Jackie's salute: Richmond journalism professor Tom Mullen You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)

On this episode we talked to four early-college student journalists at the College Media Association National Convention in Manhattan: Candice Borowitz (Chatham, Communiqué), Elie Sileo (Lehigh, The Brown & White), Graham Goodman (Ithaca, The Ithacan), and Rebecca Borlace (Michigan, The Michigan Daily). The students talked about the kind of journalism they were doing, their best journalism accomplishments, the best things they had learned, the kinds of things they hoped to do in the future, and their thoughts on AI. Candice's salute: Public Source (Pittsburgh) Ellie's salute: Lehigh's international student magazine, Voices Graham's salute: Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic and also ProPublica Rebeccas's salute: Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)

On this episode we're joined by Jordan Gass-Poore (GOSS-PO-ray). To try to pin down one job for Jordan is hard. She has 116 projects listed under experience on her LinkedIn page. One expertise is in podcast production and reporting on topics such as climate change and public health but she does plenty of written work too. She's a graduate of Texas State University with a Masters in investigative journalism from the University of London. Jordan talked about the path through many different jobs. We spotlighted a podcast about environmental hazards she conceived, narrated, and produced for NJ Spotlight News, a piece she wrote about what TV and movies gets wrong about having a parent in prison, and the journalist networking and media collective she's co-founded, Local Switchboard NYC. She also explained that as a freelancer, there's a lot of things she does beyond just doing the writing, and offered tips on producing and writing for audio. And she highlighted how journalism allows us to fins connections with each other that we might not otherwise. Work examples: Hazard NJ Podcast https://www.njspotlightnews.org/podcasts/hazard-nj/ What Movies And TV Get Wrong About Having A Parent In Prison https://scalawagmagazine.org/2022/06/prison-movies-lies/ Jordan's salutes: Michael Sol Warren, her former editor at NJ Spotlight News and now reporter at WNYC Jamie Kraft, senior managing editor, NJ Spotlight News Joe Lee, NJ PBS general manager Vernon Loeb, Inside Climate News You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Arielle Robinson. Arielle is a Racial Equity Reporter for the Arkansas Times, for whom she's worked for 9 months. This is part of the Report for America corps program She's previously had internships and freelance roles at CNN, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a few other outlets. Arielle is a graduate of Kennesaw State University. Arielle talked about the experience of covering racial equity and gave examples of the different types of stories she covers. She shared her love of history, which often comes through in her writing. And she talked about reviewing theatre and the challenge of trying to remember important points in the middle of a show. Story examples Honoring Daisy Bates in Little Rock (read to the end) https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2026/02/17/new-historical-marker-unveiled-at-daisy-bates-home-honors-civil-rights-legends-desegregation-work The Palestinian art form, Tatreez https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2025/09/23/tatreez-circle-helps-keep-palestinian-womens-tradition-alive Arielle's salute: Safura Syed, Verite News You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Daarel Burnette. Daarel is a senior editor for The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he's been for about 4 years. He's spent virtually his entire 20-year professional career in education reporting and editing for places like the Louisville Courier Journal, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chalkbeat, and Education Week. He's a graduate of Hampton University with a masters from Columbia University. The Chronicle describes itself as "Academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence." Daarel explained why he thinks education is the best beat to cover, how he works with writers to shape individual stories and overall coverage, and offered advice to those thinking about making journalism their career Daarel's Salute: The Prison Journalism Project You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Jerome Johnson, also known as Rome J. Jerome is a culture correspondent with The Triibe The Triibe is based in Chicago and its goal is to tell more thoughtful stories about Black people, stories that capture the multifaceted essence of their lived experiences, as well as solutions-driven stories that could teach and empower. It's aimed at a Black millennial audience. It was co-founded by Rome's sister, Morgan, The Tribe's publisher. It launched in 2017. Jerome explained his definition of a culture correspondent and explained the coverage he's done in sports (Bears-heavy in 2025), music, and fashion. His stories cover a wide array of topics, some lighter, some heavier in nature, but all focused on the Black Chicago experience. Story examples There's a Deeper Conversation To Be Had About Club JRoy https://thetriibe.com/2025/08/theres-a-deeper-conversation-to-be-had-about-club-jroy/ The Bears Are The Coolest Team in the NFL https://thetriibe.com/2026/01/caleb-williams-is-cold-and-the-chicago-bears-are-the-coolest-team-in-the-nfl/ Full list of his stories Jerome's salutes: Scoop Jackson, Ebony Magazine, Jet Magazine https://thetriibe.com/author/romej/ You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Mikayla Newton. Mikayla is a freelance reporter and anchor in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area often focusing on news and education stories. She's an adjunct lecturer at the University of Maryland. And she's the president and founder of a non-profit aimed at empowering future journalists, The Mikayla Newton Foundation. She is a graduate from Georgia State with a Masters from Syracuse. Mikayla talked about what she learned from working as a weekend morning news anchor, her current project about private schools doing radical things in education in the DMV, and the goals of her foundation (which most recently awarded its first scholarship). Mikayla's documentary short on The Mandala School https://substack.com/home/post/p-182443346 Mikayla's salute: WABJ – The Washington D.C. chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Jackson Juzang. Jackson is a student journalist at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He's quite busy. He's a research and editorial intern at NBC Sports, he's the founder of the Philadelphia Student Press Association, and he's the co-founder of PBJ Productions, whose services include podcasts, films and video series. And he does other things too, like serve as an associate editor on the Haverford school paper (The Clerk) and run on the school track team. We talked with Jackson mostly about the Philadelphia Student Press Association, what it does and what its goals are (it's the kind of organization that should exist in every state). We also addressed the various other projects he's involved in and what his overall aspirations are Philadelphia Student Press Association is a nonprofit coalition of student-run newsrooms across Philadelphia’s colleges and universities. We are founded to amplify student voices, promote press freedom, and build pathways into professional journalism. Jackson's salute: The Leinfest Institute for Journalism and all student journalists. You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Alana Van Der Sluys. Alana is a journalism teacher at Kinnelon High School in Kinnelon, New Jersey. Alana was a guest on episode 16 on this podcast back in December 2020. She's back nearly 250 episodes later to reflect on what happened since, which includes writing a book. Alana is a graduate of Iona University with masters' from there and Montclair State. Alana talked about her experience as a teacher, how her program includes the possibility of college credit, how the value of journalism goes beyond the class itself, and her own writing about a difficult personal experience. Kinnelon Colt Chronicle School Newspaper: https://coltchronicle.org/ Alana's salutes: Ava Gutkin (Colt Chronicle editor-in-chief), The Garden State Scholastic Press Association, Anna Helhoski (Nerd Wallet) Alana's book: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Food-Fitness-Alana-Sluys/dp/1953027199 You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Stacy Kess. Stacy is a journalist and the founder and head of editorial for Equal Access Public Media. She's a graduate of Indiana University and is based in Boston. The mission of Equal Access Public Media is to make news more accessible to all audiences so that it is more inclusive of those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and others with accessibility needs; and to make jobs more accessible to journalists with disabilities, with chronic illnesses, who are military veterans, and who are caregivers. Stacy talked about her connection to disability, what her organization does and its points of emphasis, the importance of alt text, and why she believes journalism is a calling. Stacy's salute: 4 journalism professors she interviewed: Nicole Carr, Meghan Irons, Nicki Mayo, and Jason Strother Donate to Equal Access Public Media: https://equalaccesspublicmedia.org/ You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by David Covucci. David is the editor-in-chief of FOIAball – FOIA standing for "Freedom of Information Act." It's a newsletter that uses public records reporting to investigate college football. As he said- collectives, consultants, cops, contracts, and communications. Whether or not you like sports, I think you'll find this conversation informative as we're going to talk about the idea of finding a niche in a very crowded field. David's past experience in journalism includes time as a news editor for BroBible and the senior tech and politics editor for nearly 9 years at The Daily Dot. He's a graduate of Virginia Tech. David talked about his experience with FOIA requests and what led him to doing a newsletter centered around them. He gave examples of the kinds of stories he's done (from tax fraud allegations to how much schools spend on entertaining recruits), and how accidental discoveries can lead to significant revelations. The website: FOIAball.com David's salutes: College sports newsletter founder Matt Brown, Daniel Libit (Sportico), Matt Baker (The Athletic), Jason Leopold (Bloomberg News) You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Sam Donndelinger. Sam is an investigative journalist and lead designer for Uncloseted Media. Uncloseted Media is a non-profit newsroom started by NYU professor Spencer MacNaughton to do investigative reporting on LGBTQ issues. It has 4 full-time employees and well-followed Instagram and tiktok accounts. Sam has won multiple awards for her reporting. She's a recent graduate of NYU Sam talked about the kinds of stories she covers and the importance of being an empathetic and present reporter. She explained the design role she has. And she shared why a job like this is the best fit for her. Examples of stories: Transgender men and struggles with eating disorders https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/transgender-men-experience-eating Google and conversion therapy https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/google-sends-parents-of-lgbtq-kids Unequitable access to drugs that would deter HIV https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/unraveling-the-urgent-unspoken-struggle More on Sam's life and backstory https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/why-am-i-still-explaining-being-bisexual You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Ben Chase. Ben is a two-time guest. We talked to him in 2021 when he was a reporter for the Huron Daily Plainsman in Huron, South Dakota (population ~14,000, one-third of which is Hispanic or Asian). Now he's the paper's managing editor, a role he's held for roughly a year … and it's been quite a year as he’ll share.The paper was shut down (briefly), sold, and brought back, but with some changes, including fewer print editions and a directive to be more local.Ben talked about running a small-town newspaper, the types of things the paper covers, how he writes his weekly op-ed piece, and how his stress relief is … more journalism (of a different type).Ben's salute: South Dakota SearchlightExample of Ben's Op-Eds – "It's Not The Same."https://www.plainsman.com/stories/its-not-the-same,163806Background on the sale of the newspaper https://www.plainsman.com/stories/plainsman-three-other-south-dakota-papers-purchased-by-champion-media,148535https://www.midstory.org/can-local-news-survive-south-dakota-says-yes/You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here,Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.orgThank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.comVisit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.socialSubscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Jules Roscoe. Jules is an independent journalist (freelance writer) who covers labor and technology from a national perspective and politics from a local perspective. Jules has written for (among other places), 404 Media, The Boston Guardian, Vice, Wired, and Matter News, is a 2024 graduate of NYU, and works full-time as a legal proofreader. We talked about Jules' experience, approach to writing stories (why it needs to sound good to the ear) and why a 'stupid question' is often a good question. Jules' salutes: 404 Media, and journalists Ken Klippenstein and Matthew Gault You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Megan Tagami. Megan is a reporter covering education for Honolulu Civil Beat, a non-profit newsroom in Hawaii. She's a native of Honolulu and a 2023 graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science and government. Megan talked about her entry into journalism, how she overcame her hesitance to ask people questions, explained her writing process, and shared the kinds of stories she covers on the education beat. Lots of good lessons for aspiring journalists from the perspective of a young writer beginning her career. Megan's story about mental health and Hawaii schools https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/08/the-crisis-isnt-over-maui-kids-mental-health-needs-are-mounting/ Megan's story about the librarian shortage https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/03/hawai%ca%bbi-school-libraries-are-shrinking-when-students-may-need-them-most/ Megan's story about how teachers are dealing with free speech and challenging discussion topics, like Charlie Kirk's assassination https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/11/whats-controversial-teachers-grapple-with-free-speech-in-hawaii-schools/ Megan's salute: You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Alyssa Rosenberg. Alyssa is a former editor and columnist for The Washington Post. She was at the Post for 11 and a half years, the last year and a half was spent as the letters and community editor. After the Post declined to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election she invited readers to write in. The result was 21,000 letters. And over a 6-month period, Alyssa read every one. She wrote about this recently for NOTUS (News of the United States) and she joined us to talk about her work and career. Alyssa explained what her job as a letters editor was like, her process for editing (and shortening letters), what one goes through when they read 21,000 letters on the same subject, and the value of allowing someone to feel heard. Alyssa's article for NOTUS about the 21,000 letters https://www.notus.org/perspectives/the-washington-post-got-21-000-emails-after-it-didnt-endorse-i-read-them-all Across The Movie Aisle Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/across-the-movie-aisle/id1491840893 The Shop Around The Corner- Children's Book Newsletter https://alyssarosenberg.substack.com/ Alyssa's salutes: Shane Harris, The Atlantic, Richard Just, Notus You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On The Journalism Salute we talk to journalists about who they are and what they do with the intent of showing that journalists are not the enemy of the people. On this episode we're joined by Babette Hogan and Julie Eisenberg. They are the filmmakers behind Running for the Mountains, a new documentary film about environmental policies and politics and the fight between activists and politicians about this issue in West Virginia. It's available on Amazon Prime and also, if you have a library card, on Kanopy. Babette and Julie talked about the process by which they made their movie, which took 15 years to complete. They explained why they made the movie, how – as outsiders – they gained the trust of West Virginians, and shared some of the adventures they had along the way (including an arrest. Babette and Julie's salutes: Chris Hayes of MS Now, Gasland director Josh Fox, and the movie Knock Down the House. You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here, Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com) Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com