The Journalism Salute

On this episode, we’re joined by Colleen Cronin. Colleen is a reporter for ecoRI News, a non-profit dedicated to reporting on environmental and social justice issues in southern New England. Colleen covers rural Rhode Island. She’s been with ecoRI for a year-and-a- half as part of Report for America. Colleen is a graduate of Brown University where she was editor in chief of The Brown Daily Herald. She also worked briefly at The Boston Globe. Colleen talked about her journalism origin story. She shared a story of a discussion she had with her father (a police officer) about an early piece she wrote on racial profiling and how that impacted his perspective. She also talked about her interest in environmental reporting and the kind of stories she covers on her beat, ranging from leaf peeping to the teaching of humane ways of killing fish to coverage of mass transit issues and access to public records about car crashes. And she talked about the different ways she manages her mental health and the journalism issue most important to her. Colleen’s salutes: Ivy Scott and Shannon Larson, Boston Globe The Brown Daily Herald Staff Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Adrianna Adame. Adrianna is an indigenous democracy and education reporter for Buffalo’s Fire via Report for America. Buffalo’s Fire is a non-profit website that produces independent journalism to enhance the quality of life for Native communities through news coverage that informs and engages American Indians and lifts up our stories to the broader culture. Adrianna is No. 2 on the masthead, the site’s lone reporter. She is a 2020 grad of Cal State San Marcos and has a masters from Syracuse. She is of Mexican heritage and an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. Adrianna talked about her journalism path and previous work experiences. She explained how she has been reconnecting to her Native roots while working in this job. And she shared what it was like to report on stories such as one about a memorial walk for Indian Boarding School survivors, another on a homeless shelter working to promote sobriety and one on the New Year’s Eve traditions of her great grandmother. Adrianna’s salute: IndigiNews Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode we’re joined by Joseph Bustos. Joseph is a state government and politics reporter at The State, a McClatchy-owned newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University who has previously been a reporter for 3 other papers. He’s been with The State for 4 years and can be found on Twitter at @JoeBReporter. Joseph talked about a photojournalism class that served as a turning point for his journalistic skills. He explained his interest in government and politics and his approach to covering the Republican primary candidates and other South Carolina politicians. He gave us examples of his reporting and of what a day in the life is like on the beat, including where the adrenaline rush moments come from. Joseph’s salutes: John Monk, The State and Nick Reynolds, Charleston Post & Courier. Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Rochelle Estrada. Rochelle is a senior journalism major at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. She is the president of the William Paterson chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The chapter just won the award for student chapter of the year, the 2nd time in 4 years that William Paterson has earned that distinction under professor Nick Hirshon. Rochelle talked about her broadcast journalism aspirations, the different activities and events that the SPJ chapter does, and about some of the work she’s most proud of. Rochelle’s salutes: Society of Professional Journalists and The National Center on Disability and Journalism Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Frances Solá-Santiago. Frances is a fashion writer at Refinery 29 and also does freelance work for other prominent outlets. She’s a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico and Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Frances talked about how the MTV show ‘The Hills’ and an early interest in fashion magazines set her career path. She explained the wide range of stories that touch fashion that she covers (one week Chat GPT, another week, famous scammers, another week a personal piece on engagement rings). She talked about the importance of covering Latinx in fashion and music. And she shared what her first book will be about. Frances’ salutes: Andrea González Ramirez, The Cut and founder of Latinas in Journalism Mentorship Program Claudia Irizarry Aponte, The City Talk: https://youtu.be/ToCS24hfaN4?t=1899 Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Marjorie Cortez. Marjorie is an education reporter for the Deseret News in Utah. Prior to her current role on the Utah InDepth team, she was an editorial writer, columnist and Sunday opinion section editor. She’s been a journalist for three decades. For those unfamiliar, The Deseret News covers news locally and nationally and is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American West. The company that owns the publication is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Marjorie talked about working the education beat, which includes a lot of coverage of social issues. She talked to us about what it was like to cover a high school graduation in a prison and some of the difficult choices she faced in writing that story. She provided examples of other work she’s done recently as well. She discussed what it is like to write stories now compared to when she first started. And she gave a great example of something she learned from making a mistake. Story examples: Graduation ceremony in a prison https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/6/5/23746993/utah-state-prison-earning-diploma-while-incarcerated A bus that doubles as a homeless shelter https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/29/23643677/nomad-alliance-bus-homeless-shelter-winter-weather Marjorie’s Salute: The Education Writer’s Association Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Michael Clair. This episode is airing right around the time of the World Series. Michael Clair covers what I’d call “The Wide World of Baseball” for MLB.com. He writes features about interesting people and stories around the world, connected to playing baseball. And other things too. Michael talked about the value of reading to a journalism origin story that also included Hollywood aspirations. He explained how he covers international baseball and walks us through some of his interesting stories, including baseball played in Bhutan and the Czech Republic. Michael’s salutes Jiří Vlach, Ján Jabrocký, Lukas Ercoli, baseball in the Czech Republic Martin Jorge and Allar Hrastoviak, WBSC Eric Balnar, Baseball Australia Fluto Shinazawa, The Athletic Michael’s stories Baseball in Bhutan – https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/bhutan-hopes-to-be-next-great-baseball-country The Czech Republic Baseball Team Will Steal Your Heart https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/czech-republic-world-baseball-classic-underdog-stars Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Cindy Kuzma. Cindy is a freelance writer based in Chicago and her primary beat is running. She’s written for several magazines about the subject. She’s also co-authored books and co-hosts the podcast, The Injured Athletes Club. And she does write about other subjects too. Cindy graduated from Baylor University with a masters degree from the Medill School at Northwestern. Cindy talked about how she makes a career out of freelancing and gave examples of the many different types of projects she’s worked on. Notable recent stories include news stories about issues with body composition testing, pieces related to running, health, and personal wellness, and coverage of marathons from both an elite athlete and human interest perspective. Cindy’s salute: The Daily Northwestern and the students who investigated the team’s football program Examples of stories Top college programs moving away from body composition testing https://www.runnersworld.com/preview/news/a42437488/body-composition-testing-college-programs/ Coverage of the 2023 Boston Marathon https://www.runnersworld.com/preview/news/a43581068/boston-marathon-2023-american-women/ What COVID Surviors Know https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/may-2021/what-covid-survivors-know/

I'm finishing the editing work on a book project this week and a planned interview didn't happen, so I'm sharing an episode from November 2021 that some of you may not have heard. We’re joined by April Alonso. April is the co-founder of the award-winning Cicero Independiente, a bilingual news website and publication based in Cicero, Illinois, along with Irene Romulo and Ankur Singh. The Independiente has won a number of non-profit journalism award. At the time of this interview, it had just won two awards from the Institute for Non-Profit News for the 11-part series – Unrest in Cicero – How One Day Shook a Town – coverage of racial violence and unrest in their city of 80,000. April talked about her career as a photographer and her role with this organization, explained what happened in the city and how her organization covered it, and discussed how the Independiente functions with workers that are part-time and volunteers from local schools and the community. To learn more about The Independiente, read this article from The Poynter Institute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Stefania Lugli. Stefania is a Civic Engagement reporter for an educational non-profit, the Kansas Leadership Center, as well as the Spanish-language site, Planeta Venus. Her work supports increased news coverage on items of interest to English and Spanish speaking Latinos in Kansas. Previously, she was a reporter in Wichita as part of Report for America, and also Sarasota, Florida, and wrote for the Metro section of the Boston Globe. She is a second-generation Venezuelan American and a graduate of Emerson College in Boston. Stefania talked about her current role and how she writes stories with purpose about things that have immediate utility for her audience. She also spoke of writing with compassion, her love of research, and the responsibility she feels in her job. Examples of her work - Is Oaklawn Wichita’s forgotten neighborhood? https://klcjournal.com/oaklawn-wichita-neighborhood/ - Latinos Face a Choice: Uphold Cultural Tradition or Trust Strangers to Care For Your Own https://klcjournal.com/senior-elderly-caregiving-in-latino-families/ Stefania’s salutes: - The 19th - Mississippi Free Press - AZ Luminaria - The Marshall Project - Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe - Margo Snipe, Capital B - Arelis Hernández, Washington Post - Marissa Lang, Washington Post - Steven Walker, Sarasota Herald-Tribune Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Karli Paulson. Karli is publisher and editor of the weekly Clark County Courier in Clark, South Dakota. Karli recently purchased the paper – she had been working for it as the office manager and typesetter. She’s a graduate of Minnesota-State Moorhead. Karli talked about her path from animation major in college to 23-year-old newspaper owner. She explained her vision for the paper and future goals and walked us through what goes into getting her paper out to the people of Clark (approximate population, 3,800). It was refreshing to hear from someone working in a place so reliant on community news coverage. Karli’s salutes: - Glenn Elmore, publisher South Shore Gazette (South Shore, South Dakota) - Garrick and Carrie Moritz, Garretson Gazette (Garretson, South Dakota) Learn more about Karli and the paper here: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/stories/south-dakota-weekly-newspapers-journalism/ Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Richard Tsong-Taatarii. Richard is in his 25th year as a staff photographer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He notes on his website that he enjoys covering communities within our larger society that escape the attention of the mainstream media. Richard talked about his photography origin story, the practical and philisophical reason why he calls himself a picture poet and how his being a photographer has shaped his worldview. He also went through his best-of portfolio, telling us the stories behind his most memorable shots, which include the George Floyd murder protests, being in an Arby’s while it was being looted, the life of a Tibetan child on the verge of becoming a Lama and recent projects related to Native American reservations. Richard’s salutes: photographer Eugene Richards; The Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting Richard’s portfolio: https://apicturepoet.com/portfolio/ Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Isadora Varejão, an engagement producer for Retro Report. Retro Report is a non-profit organization that makes documentaries connecting current events to stories from the past. Isadora is Brazilian and got her journalism degree at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and a masters degree from Craig Newmark School of Journalism at City University of New York. In the first part of the interview, Isadora explained her journalism path (which included time working in public relations for the Brazilian government) and described the important work she did at Newmark School, creating a bot and a play to educate Latina immigrants about domestic violence. In the second half of the interview Isadora talked both about what Retro Report does and explained what engagement journalism is. She also described her role, specifically that of working with teachers and educators to meet her audiences where they are. Isadora’s salute: Jeff Jarvis, former director and professor in the journalism department at Craig Newmark School Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Frank Vaisvilas. Frank covers indigenous affairs for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He just joined the Sentinel after three years at the Green Bay Press-Gazette as part of Report for America. Wisconsin is home to 11 Native American tribes, so there’s a lot to cover. Frank, who lists himself as being Mexican/Yaqui/Lithuanian/Irish/American/, is a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago and worked for multiple Chicago-area papers. He talked about the common misconceptions people have about Native American cultures and how his articles serve as an entry point to teaching people. He also recounted some of the most notable things he’s covered and how versatile he needs to be on the beat. Frank’s articles: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/staff/5312094002/frank-vaisvilas/ Frank’s salute – Report for America Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

Hi everyone - We're doing a feed swap this week with a podcast that shares similar sensibilities to ours. Local News Matters features extended conversations covering a wide range of topics. Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association, talks to reporters, editors, publishers, startup founders, sales leaders, philanthropists and more – anyone doing new or exemplary work or proffering thought-provoking insights is fair game. This episode features an interview with Emmy-winning journalist Maritza Félix of Conecta Arizona. Maritza started a WhatsApp group to answer questions for friends and family on both sides of the border between Arizona and Mexico. What she assumed would be a short-lived project for people she knew has grown to encompass daily conversations on WhatsApp, original reporting for the web, newsletters, podcasts, a radio show and more. She talks about the challenges of getting funding for a Spanish-language initiative on non-traditional platforms, learning to be an entrepreneur, and more. To listen to more episodes of Local News Matters, visit their website- https://localnewsmatterspodcast.com/ and follow them on Twitter - https://twitter.com/lnmpod We'll be back with a new episode next week. Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Em Espey. Em is an education reporter for MoCo360 Media, which covers Montgomery County, Maryland, comprehensively online at Moco360.media. Em is transgender and goes by the pronouns they/them. They’ve previously worked as a transcriptionist and court reporter and as an investigator for a group that worked with religious organizations on improving their responses to sexual abuse. Em talked about the primary story they've been focusing on the last several months, a lawsuit over Montgomery County's decision to not allow parents to opt their children out of the LGBTQ+ books in the school curriculum. They explained the story and gave perspective on what it's like to cover as someone who is transgender. Em also talked about their past work amplifying the good stories - and how stories of trans joy need to be covered and shared given that most stories about transgender people deal with their being under attack. Em's articles: https://moco360.media/author/em-espeybethesdamagazine-com/ Em's salutes: Erin Reed & Imara Jones Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Jen Sorensen. Jen is an award-winning editorial cartoonist whose work can be seen at magazines, newspapers, and websites (including her own). She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for her coverage of the 2016 presidential race. Jen talked about how she comes up with her cartooning ideas, how alt-weekly newspapers have influenced her work, and the mechanics of how she draws. She also discussed the current state of cartooning, with the recent layoff of 3 Pulitzer-winning cartoonists. You can see Jen's Pulitzer portfolio here: https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/jen-sorensen-freelance-cartoonist Jen's Salutes: The Guardian and ProPublica Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok!

On this episode we’re joined by Kadjata Bah. Kadjata is an incoming freshman at Yale University. She was the 2023 Wisconsin JEA Student Journalist of the Year from Madison East High School in Madison, Wisconsin. Kadjata spoke about her journalism origin at Simpson Street Free Press (a journalism program for local students), writing both about stories that were personal and that brought attention to underrecognized people and groups in the community. She also talked about how important representation is to her as a Black Muslim woman and the daughter of African immigrants and whether she feels optimistic about journalism and her future in it. You can see Kadjata’s journalism portfolio here. https://sites.google.com/view/kadjatajoyportfolio/home Kadjata’s salute: Black journalism pioneers Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok!

On this episode, we’re joined by Grace Hamilton. Grace is an incoming freshman at Columbia University. She was the 2022-23 Journalism Education Association Student Journalist of the Year after completing her studies at the American School of London. Grace talked about how her passion for journalism developed, the award-winning piece she wrote exploring sexual harassment at her school, a story she wrote about meeting young women at a Syrian refugee camp, how she evolved as an editor-in-chief, and her aspirations for the future. We also heard from Louisa Avery, journalism teacher at the American School of London, who talked about Grace’s development and the importance of the Journalism Education Association. Grace’s salute: The Student Press Law Center (+ her colleagues at The Standard) Link to Grace’s full portfolio https://gracehhamilton.journoportfolio.com/ Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback at journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website at thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok!

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Patricia Gallagher Newberry. She’s an enterprise and watchdog reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer who began her journalism career as a student at the University of Nebraska in 1979. There’s an interesting career path here – Reporting until 1997 and then, after dealing with repetitive strain injuries, a transition to being a professor at Miami of Ohio, where she worked for 25 years. And then retiring from that and back to reporting. It all comes full circle. Patricia talked about her work in academia, including a series of classes she created and why she felt it so important to return to reporting. She provided examples of stories she’s covering, including that of a Ukranian family that escaped from the war, and a prominent murder trial that had her doing the kind of coverage she never had before. Throughout the conversation, Patricia offered advice, including - Listen to your professors! - Find a specialty - Never burn bridges - Have productive conversations with your editors about coverage Patricia’s salute: Society for Professional Journalists (she’s a past president) Her work can be found at: https://www.cincinnati.com/staff/6972893001/patricia-gallagher-newberry/ Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback at journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website at thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok!