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,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 is 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 non-binary and uses 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!

On this episode we’re joined by Isiah Holmes. Isiah has been an award-winning reporter for Wisconsin Examiner since 2019. He’s a multimedia journalist who will be a Type Media fellow for the next year, which allows him to further his investigative reporting pursuits. He’s a lifelong resident of Milwaukee.

Isiah talked about his journalism origin story, one that might inspire future reporters who have difficulty paying for college.

He has a particular interest in covering several areas, including police misconduct and its ramifications, drug addiction and treatment, and the environment and he provided examples of the work he’s done in each area. That includes a documentary film and several award-winning print pieces.

He also shared the story of how he ended up on an FBI watch list for doing his job.

Isiah’s advice: Innovate … and be a kind vulture.

Isiah’s salutes: Jeremy Scahill, Gary Webb, Kevin Carter, Robert King

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.

Note that this episode was recorded and produced before the June 30 news broke about the Coast Guard's failure to pursue criminal investigations of a large number of sexual assaults of former students at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. You can read about that here.

Sonner Kehrt is an investigative reporter for The War Horse, a non-profit newsroom covering the military and veterans. She’s based in California and has been a journalist since 2015 and a lecturer at Berkeley since 2018.

Prior to that she served in the United States Coast Guard for 5 years. So she has a military-experience perspective in the work she does.

Sonner talked about her path to journalism, the experience of going to the Coast Guard Academy, and how her military time prepared her for journalism.

She walked us through the different stories she’s done, including ones on being an LGBTQ military member (or parent of an LGBTQ child) in a state where anti-LGBTQ legislation has passed, on the damage done by military burn pits post 2001, some first-person experience stories about her time at the Academy, and a lighter pre-War Horse piece on watching Isle of Dogs with dogs.

Sonner’s advice: Turn every page when reviewing documents

Sonner’s salute: Berkeleyside

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

On this episode we’re joined by Lyndsay C. Green.

Lyndsay is a dining and restaurant critic for the Detroit Free Press. This past year she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for criticism for a body of work described thusly by her employer.

Eye-opening, thought-provoking and mouthwatering, Lyndsay’s work brings fresh perspective and uncommon courage to readers hungry for brave dining criticism. She taps into Detroit’s culturally expansive and unpretentious spirit as she reviews area eateries.

Lyndsay talked about her path from beauty writer to food critic, how she spoke a personal passion project into existence, a column she wrote about how Black women can go unseen in fine dining, the process by which she does restaurant reviews and other extensive coverage of her beat, and how both eating food and growing food inspire her.

Read Lyndsay’s work here:

https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/lyndsay-c-green-detroit-free-press

Lyndsay’s advice: You can create whatever you want to create.

Lyndsay’s salute: Food, culture, media, politics writer Alicia Kennedy

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

A caution: This episode includes brief discussion of sexual abuse in the Catholic church and of suicidal thoughts.

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, we're joined by John Casey. John is a senior editor and columnist at The Advocate, the world’s oldest and largest LGBTQ news outlet. John is in his late 50s. He’s spent much of his career in public relations, first on Capital Hill, then for big companies like Toys R Us and Nielsen.

He’s in his first year as senior editor after previously writing for The Advocate since 2019. He often speaks to the most prominent politicians and celebrities in the United States about LGBTQ issues.

John talked about what he's learned in his different PR jobs, explained his transition to journalism and walked us through some of the different stories he's written and positions he's taken.

John's salute: All other publications specifically covering LGBTQ issues

Link to John's columns

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

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon is joined by Amber Payne. Amber is the publisher and general manager of The Emancipator.

This struck us as an important episode to release on Juneteenth.

The Emancipator is the Reimagining of the first abolitionist newspaper for a new day. Explaining and exploring solutions to racial inequality. It began as a partnership between Boston University and the Boston Globe. It is now housed at BU’s center for Anti-Racist Research, which is run by Dr. Ibram Kendi.

 Amber is also a documentary filmmaker, who has held prominent positions at NBC News, Teen Vogue, and Black Entertainment Television. She’s a 2004 grad of the University of Virginia.

Amber talked about learning how to speak up, to stand up for stories, and to build and lead in her previous jobs. She explained how The Emancipator comes up with its print, video, social, and event ideas.

These included

- A series of pieces on the anniversary of the death of Vincent Chin

- Stories explaining what redlining is

- Articles related to a documentary about how the recall of a judge led to harsher and more disproportionate sentences for Black convicted criminals.

- A community gathering to discuss issues Black women face regarding breastfeeding.

Amber’s advice: Rewrite your job description annually to what you want it to be

Amber’s salute: Madeleine Bair, El Timpano

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

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon is joined by C.J. Janovy. C.J. is the director of content for KCUR, the NPR affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri.

She has previously worked as editor of The Pitch, Kansas City’s alt-weekly, and as an editor at Kansas Reflector, a non-profit covering state government in Kansas.

She’s also the author of the book No Place Like Home, Lessons in Activism from LGBT Kansas. There’s a documentary that serves as a sequel to the book, directed by Kevin Wilmott, who co-wrote Black KkKlansman.

C.J. talked both about her long career as a journalist, both as a writer profiling people like Melissa Ethridge and her current work. She explained her role at KCUR and how she shapes the station’s and the website’s diverse content.

She also talked about her book – about the people she got to meet as she traveled across Kansas and their ongoing battle for equal rights in a conservative state that is rich in great stories of LGBTQ activism.

To learn more about her book, watch the talk she gave to the Kansas Historical Society.

C.J.’s salutes: Nikole Hannah-Jones of The 1619 Project and Randy Shilts, who covered LGBTQ issues for the San Francisco Chronicle

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

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon is joined by Melissa Sanchez.

Melissa is a bilingual reporter for Pro Publica, which does investigative journalism in the public interest.

Melissa is based in Chicago and covers labor and immigration. She just won a Studs Terkel award for her work (that’s a very important award to Chicago journalists). Her stories are deep investigative pieces that are read by people who can enact change.

We talk to her about one in particular, the death of a young boy at a Wisconsin dairy farm. Melissa explained what went into the reporting for her and her co-author, Maryam Jameel. Melissa talked about her journalism explained what goes into reporting about broken systems, and offered advice for aspiring journalists throughout the interview.

Melissa’s salute: Aura Bogado, Reveal

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.

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon is joined by Justine Harman. Justine is a journalist and podcaster and current host of the podcast Killed. Killed is a podcast about journalism that gets … killed … for a variety of reasons. Season 2 from Audiochuck is currently ongoing. It’s ranked among the most downloaded podcasts in Seasons 1 and 2.

We talked about Justine’s former career as a magazine writer and editor (she still does freelance work) at Elle and Glamour, and how she works to make celebrity features (like one she did on Jessica Chastain) be more than just a typical story.

We then discussed the origin story for Killed, along with one example of the kinds of pieces the podcast touches on – a story that has had trouble getting published about a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers who believes he was cut because he had a white girlfriend.

Justine also provided advice for those interested in working for fashion magazines and also for those interested in writing for podcasts.

Justine’s salute: New York Magazine.

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.

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Richard Ruelas. Richard has been a reporter and metro columnist at the Arizona Republic for 30 years. He has moderated debates, written a book, and also reported and anchored a podcast series about a murdered Arizona journalist, Don Bolles. And he’s an adjunct professor at Arizona State.

Richard talked about all aspects of his career, including his reporting on Turning Point USA, his moderating a contentious debate for Arizona Secretary of State, his podcast work and the time he had a gun pointed at him by an Arizona politician. Throughout, he provided advice to future journalists, most notably, decide early if this is the career for you.

Richard’s salute: Tony Ortega, The Underground Bunker (scientology reporting)

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.

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Peter Rice. Peter is the editor of Downtown Albuquerque News in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He’s been a reporter for both print outlets and local NPR stations and has written multiple books. Downtown Albuquerque News is what it says it is – a digital news outlet serving downtown Albuquerque and surrounding neighborhoods. Hyperlocal news.

Peter talked about his and the newsletter’s origin story, gave a couple of examples of the type of coverage his news outlet does, and offered advice throughout to those interested in doing something similar in their community.

DAN Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/downtownalbuquerquenews/

Peter’s Salute: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government

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.

On this episode of The Journalism Salute, Mark Simon is joined by Rebecca Johnson. Rebecca is a graduating senior from the University of Pittsburgh who plans a career in journalism. She’s just finishing her tenure as editor in chief of The Pitt News, overseeing a staff of 18 editors and 150 contributors. She’s also done multiple internships, including one covering education for the Austin American-Statesman.

Rebecca talked about her journalism origin story (she just wrote about it too), discussed what went into daily coverage and the challenging stories that the newspaper has covered this year.

She also talked about the work she did covering education in Texas in the wake of the Uvalde massacre. Rebecca is headed to the Chicago Tribune on a reporting internship after graduating.

Rebecca’s salute: The State News, Michigan State’s school newspaper.

Thanks to Pitt professor Harry Kloman for the interview recommendation.

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.