The Journalism Salute

On this episode, we're joined by North Carolina State University student journalist Erin Ferrare . Erin is a junior majoring in science, technology, and society with a specialization in science and technical writing. She's also a sports writer for Technician , the school newspaper at NC State. She recently wrote a piece 'The Invisible Girl on Press Row' about the contrast in experi...

In this episode, Mark Simon interviews science journalist and NYU grad student Humberto Basilio , who covers stories about science globally, with an emphasis on Latin America. Humberto's stories touch on climate change, biodiversity, and vulnerable communities across the globe, as well as many other topics. Humberto discussed one example of his approach to a story, a piece about desert racers...

On this episode we're joined by Tamika Smith . Tamika is the local host of All Things Considered on WAMU in Washington D.C. She has been with the station since 2014. She's worked in radio as a host, producer, and reporter. She also worked in print journalism as a managing editor for Patch. Tamika discussed her passion for storytelling, her Caribbean heritage's impact, and the empathy s...

On this episode, we talk to students who attended the Journalism Education Association's national convention in Philadelphia, November 7-10. We got their perspective on how they view journalism and why it's important to them, as well as their take on the president-elect calling journalists the enemy. Student Journalists we spoke to: * Sophie Nguyen, Granite Bay High School, California (1:2...

In this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Ben Kaplan , a VP in the sports and entertainment industry and a former Division III basketball player, who is the co-author of 'Pipelines to the Pros: How D3 Small College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA' with Danny Parkins . Ben wanted to talk about how a non-journalist learns journalism on the fly for the purpose of writing a book, so that's wh...

On this episode, we’re joined by Stella Mackler . Stella is a junior at Davidson College in North Carolina. Stella was co-editor in chief of her college’s newspaper, The Davidsonian , this past year and spent considerable time reporting on student reaction to the war in Gaza . Additionally, she’s done an independent reporting podcast project on the Jewish community in Moldova, written a freelance...

This week's episode is a special presentation from The Nutgraf - Campus To Campaign- Student Media's Role in Election Coverage- hosted by The Journalism Salute's Mark Simon . Our guests were Peggy Dodd , editor-in-chief of OU Daily at the University of Oklahoma, Lily Alexander , editor-in-chief of The Daily Lobo at the University of New Mexico, and Sarah Hutter , executive producer of...

In this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Michelle Pera-McGhee , a senior journalist-engineer at The Pudding. ( Pudding.cool ) Michelle discussed her unique career path and projects and her original pursuit being computer science. The conversation covers various projects including data-driven analyses of crossword puzzles for inclusivity , the rhythmic influence of hip-hop producer J Dilla , a rece...

In this episode, Mark Simon talks to Esmy Jimenez , who shares her unconventional journey into journalism, discussing her work at the Boston Globe covering the racial wealth gap in New England. She reflects on her career's turning points, including her time working in radio and at the Seattle Times, and the influence of DACA on her life and ability to work in the United States Esmy offers insi...

In this episode, Mark Simon talks to Kimberly Cortez , editor-in-chief of The Beacon, the University of Portland's school newspaper.  Kimberly (pronouns: she/they) is a social work major who is the child of Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants. She explained the importance of their cultural heritage to their work covering diverse stories, including one on the transgender students at Portland, a C...

On this episode we’re joined by Arifa Akbar . Arifa is the chief theatre critic for the British newspaper, The Guardian , a newspaper that has been in existence since 1821. Arifa shares insights on the preparation involved in reviewing plays and the importance of honest criticism. She also touched upon the influence of her upbringing, the legacy of her predecessors, and her views on inclusivity in...

On this episode we’re joined by Jeff Singer . Jeff is managing editor of The Downballot , a reader-supported newsletter that covers thousands of elections other than the presidency- everything from senate to legislature to attorney general and secretary of state, district attorney and city council. It also calculates the results of the presidential election in every congressional district and prod...

On this episode we’re joined by Miles Griffis . Miles is the co-founder of The Sick Times , a non-profit website chronicling the Long Covid crisis. He knows the impact of the disease firsthand. As is written on The Sick Times website “We report on the common, life-changing disease following COVID-19 infection that affects  over 400 million people worldwide  and can be fatal. Our coverage spans rel...

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Vivienne Serret , a student at the University of Florida who has been covering the resignation of president Ben Sasse and other notable stories for The Alligator , an independent newspaper covering the school, and Fresh Take Florida , a wire service. Vivienne talked about what went into her reporting on Sasse , discussed other stories she's covered , ex...

On this episode we’re joined by Théoden Janes. Théoden is an award-winning features and entertainment reporter for the Charlotte Observer, for whom he’s worked for more than 18 years. He previously worked at The Washington Post , Arizona Republic , and Bergen Record . He’s a 1996 grad of the University of Arizona. Théoden talked about the different types of stories he writes, including one about a...

On this episode we’re joined by Alice Scott . Alice is this year’s Journalism Education Association Student Journalist of the Year. Alice was co-editor of The Shield , the student newspaper at McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. It was not her first national award. She also won Student Broadcaster of the Year in 2022 from the National Scholastic Press Association. Alice talked about how her int...

On this episode, we’re joined by Aisha Sultan . Aisha ( @AishaS ) is an award-winning writer and columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, whose column is also nationally syndicated. Aisha is Pakistani-American Muslim, a wife and mom of 2 who writes to help people feel seen or heard and to provide perspectives people may not have heard before. (Wednesday, August 14 is Independence Day of Pakistan...

On this episode Mark Simon is joined by Mesfin Fekadu . Mesfin is the senior editor for music at The Hollywood Reporter , which he’s done the last 2 years. Previously he had a 13-year run that included time as senior journalist and music editor for The Associated Press. In between, he spent a year and a half in the communications department at Netflix. Additionally, he’s a vice president at the So...

In this episode, Jim Morris , executive director and editor-in-chief of Public Health Watch , discusses his career in journalism and the significant environmental and public health reporting done by his organization with Mark Simon . The conversation gets into Public Health Watch's role in shedding light on environmental injustices, particularly through their 'Toxic Texas Air' series,...

In this episode, we’re joined by Lev Gringauz , associate editor for Jewfolk . Lev delves into his journey to becoming a specialized journalist covering Jewish communities in Minnesota and Cincinnati . Lev shares insights into his reporting process, including his motivations and challenges in tackling diverse stories. The two do a thorough look at an 18,000-word investigative story Lev did on the...

In this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Mira Fox, a staff writer for The Forward, who discusses her work covering Jewish culture. Mira talked about her diverse writing topics, from serious issues like student protests and anti-Semitism to lighter pieces and reader advice columns. Mira shared her winding journey to journalism, her upbringing, education, and the impact of her personal experiences o...

On this episode Mark Simon is joined by Michael Anguille , a journalist and the executive director of the Stillwater Awards, which are given by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Prison Journalism Project for excellence in journalism within the incarcerated community. (Thanks to Michael Koretzky at Florida Atlantic University, (whom Michael saluted) for his help in coordinating this i...

On this episode Mark Simon is joined by Sarah Conway , a senior reporter at City Bureau and Trina Reynolds-Tyler , the data director for The Invisible Institute . They just won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for their 2-year investigation, Missing in Chicago . You can find it at ChicagoMissingPersons.com . Their 7-part investigative series revealed how Chicago police violated state la...

In this episode, Mark Simon interviews Christina Kahrl , the sports editor of the San Francisco Chronicle since 2021. Christina's career includes over a decade at ESPN.com and a significant co-founding role at Baseball Prospectus .  Christina shares her journey into journalism. She also discusses her experience as a transgender woman who came out publicly with support from colleagues and the b...

In this episode, Stacie Sherman , a senior editor at Bloomberg News with 27 years of experience, shares her career journey. Stacie discusses her transition from an accounting major to journalism, influenced by a pivotal class in college. She details her diverse roles at Bloomberg, and her significant work covering state government. Stacie also elaborates on the importance of quick, accurate news d...