The Journalism Salute

On this episode, we’re joined by Carla Robinson and Daralyse Lyons from the Chestnut Hill Local. Carla is the editor in chief of the Chestnut Hill Local . Daralyse is the business growth officer for the Chestnut Hill paper and the Mount Airy Local. The Local is a community-focused newspaper serving Northwest Philadelphia. Carla and Daralyse talked about their accidental journeys into journalism, t...

On this episode, we’re joined by Medar De La Cruz. Medar is a Dominican American cartoonist and illustrator from Miami who currently lives in Brooklyn N.Y. In May 2023, Medar wrote and drew from his own experience, as a Rikers Island prison library worker through the Brooklyn Public Library. That work done for The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting and commentary. Medar sh...

On this episode, we’re joined by Brian Lyman . Brian is the editor of the Alabama Reflector , a non-profit news outlet covering Alabama state government. He’s covered state government in some form in Alabama since 2006. Brian, a native New Yorker, was just named a Pulitzer Prize finalist “for brave, clear and pointed columns that challenge ever-more-repressive state policies flouting democratic no...

On this episode, we’re joined by Daniel Alvarenga . Daniel is an independent journalist who recently hosted the podcast, Humo, Murder and Silence in El Salvador . It is the story of a serial killer who was a national police officer and a highest-level government cover-up. It was done in both Spanish and English and produced by Sonoro in conjunction with FACTum. As a Salvadorian-American, Alvarenga...

On this episode, we’re joined by Chenue Her . Chenue is in his 3rd year as the morning news anchor for Local 5 News in Des Moines, Iowa. He’s previously worked as a reporter in Eugene, Oregon, Norfolk, Virginia, and Atlanta. Chenue is Hmong – there are fewer than 400,000 Hmong people living in the United States. He was the first male Hmong news anchor in the United States. Chenue talked about how...

On this episode, we’re joined by Mary Rasura . Mary is a student at Florida Atlantic University who will graduate with a degree in multimedia journalism in December. Mary is a reporter for Florida Atlantic University Press and for OutSFL , an LGBT-focused publication. And she’s the executive editor at OutFAU , a monthly student publication that she founded that is devoted to LGBTQ issues at the sc...

On this episode, we’re joined by  Lomi Kriel  and  Lexi Churchill . They are 2 reporters on the team of journalists that just won  The Collier Prize , a prestigious award given by The Collier Companies and The University of Florida for investigative journalism and political reporting specific to state governments. The award was given for coverage on reporting on the actions and lack of actions by...

On this episode we’re joined by Chatwan Mongkol . Chatwan is the editor and reporter for The Nutgraf, a newsletter that covers student journalism. He’s also a graduate student at The New School going for his masters degree in Media Management. Chatwan is a 2022 grad of Quinnipiac University. You can find the newsletter at nutgrafnews.substack.com or bit.ly/thenutgraf Chatwan talked about his journ...

On this episode, we’re joined by Rebecca Worby . Rebecca is the editorial director for Reasons to Be Cheerful. Reasons to Be Cheerful is a non-profit website and newsletter founded by the musician and artist David Byrne. And it is what it says it is- reporting on news that should make you feel good. Many of these reasons to be cheerful come in the form of smart, proven, replicable solutions to the...

On this episode, we’re joined by Jay Boller . Jay is co-owner and editor of Racket. RacketMN.com is a writer-owned, reader-funded alternative journalism source for news, arts, and culture in Minneapolis. He has previously worked for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and City Pages. Racket was founded in August 2021. Jay talked about his journalism origin story and Racket’s origin story. He shared examp...

On this episode, we’re joined by Itto Outini . Itto and her husband Mekiya run the website, The Datekeepers . This online platform operates under the idea that stories move mountains and that we need to see better stories about humanity and people overcoming extraordinary odds to make contributions to the world. I should note that Itto is blind. She has a degree in applied linguistics from Mohamed...

On this episode, we’re joined by Shi En Kim PHD . Kim (she goes by her last name) is a freelance science writer who was just awarded a Pulitzer Center fellowship to cover a health and science story in Brazil. Kim has written for many publications including Scientific American and National Geographic. She often covers new research and emerging trends in sciences, tech, the environment, and health a...

On this special episode, we talk to a diverse group of journalists at the College Media Association Spring Convention in Manhattan. They speak about their journalism origin stories and their most memorable journalism experiences. In this episode, you’ll hear from CMA president and University of Alabama-Birmingham student media advisor Jackie Alexander (1:10), Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Beatric...

On this episode, we’re joined by Erin Reed . Erin is an independent journalist. She covers transgender issues and anti-transgender legislation for her newsletter, Erin in the Morning , available on Substack. She also does video pieces on Instagram and TikTok . Erin is transgender and uses the pronouns she/her. Erin explained her entry into journalism, what it’s like to cover and track anti-transge...

On this episode we’re joined by Amir Vera . Amir is a breaking news editor at CNN and the vice-president of digital at the National Association of Black Journalists . Amir talked about his journalism origin story and his early days living in different parts of the world. He shared the lessons he learned from his college days at VCU and working for two daily newspapers – The Progress-Index and The...

On this episode we’re joined by Adriana Chavira . Adriana is a journalism teacher at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School in Los Angeles. She’s been teaching for more than 20 years She’s also previously worked as a newspaper reporter after graduating Cal-State Northridge. We’re having Adriana on this week because it is Scholastic Journalism Week. The Journalism Education Association is doing and promot...

On this episode, we’re joined by Curtis Bunn . Curtis is based in Atlanta and writes about race for NBC BLK . He’s been a journalist for more than 40 years, among the highlights: as a sportswriter at the New York Daily News and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, then as a writer and deputy editor for Black newspapers, such as the Atlanta Black Star. He’s from Washington D.C. He’s also had a successful...

On this episode, we’re joined by Adrienne Johnson Martin . Adrienne is the executive editor at MLK50.com . Adrienne has been an editor for more than 30 years for The Los Angeles Times , The Raleigh News and Observer , Duke Magazine, and now MLK50, which she’s been with for 2.5 years. She’s a graduate of Syracuse with a masters from Columbia Journalism. MLK 50 was founded by Wendi Thomas, a longtim...

On this episode we’re joined by Alexa Imani Spencer . Alexa reports on racial health equity for Word in Black , a newsroom that frames narratives and fosters solutions for racial inequities in America. It was founded after the murder of George Floyd. She previously worked for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and also writes about maternal health. Alexa talked about her early journalism origin story a...

On this episode, we’re joined by Bennet Goldstein. Bennet covers agriculture and the environment in the heartland for Wisconsin Watch as part of Report for America . He works on the Mississippi River Basin Agriculture and Water Desk – a collaborative reporting group. He previously worked for newspapers in Iowa and Nebraska. Bennett talked about the purpose of the Ag and Water Desk, which covers 31...

On this episode we’re joined by Andrew Galarneau . Andrew has been a journalist for 35 years and a writer and editor at The Buffalo News for 26 years, 12 years covering covering food. Now he’s gone independent and started his own food newsletter, Four Bites . He’s also a journalism professor at the University at Buffalo. Andrew talked about the lessons he learned early in his career that have paid...

On this episode we’re joined by Mallory Carra . Mallory is a journalist, editor and professor who has experience in print, digital, and audio. Among many projects, she’s currently teaching journalism at USC, is the lead producer of the soon-released Electric Futures Podcast , and publishes a job listings newsletter, West Coast Media Jobs. She formerly wrote for Bustle and wrote and edited podcast...

On this episode we’re joined by Stephanie Marudas and Emily Previti of Kouvenda Media . Kouvenda is a non-profit podcast production company that produces narratives for social change. Stephanie is the founder and executive producer. Emily is a data journalist and producer. Together they are the co-creators of their latest project, Obscured. Obscured covers critical issues that are missed because t...

On today’s episode we’re joined by Massarah Mikati . Massarah covers immigrants and communities of color for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She’s been with them for about a year and a half. Prior to that she covered a similar beat in for the Albany Times-Union in New York and the Houston Chronicle. Massarah is Lebanese. She just won an award from the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association. Sh...

On this episode, we’re joined by Divya Karthikeyan , the race and equity reporter for WFPL and the non-profit newsroom Louisville Public Media. Divya is originally from Chennai India and came to the states as a grad student at NYU. She previously worked for a collaborative of stations as Capitol reporter at Kentucky Public Radio. Divya talked about her early interest in journalism and how she foun...