The Journalism Salute

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...

On this episode we’re joined by Tim Furlong . Tim is a reporter for the Delaware bureau of NBC’s news affiliate in Philadelphia ( NBC10 ). He’s also an adjunct professor at Widener University. Tim describes himself as high energy, conversational and versatile. He’s been part of an Emmy-winning team and has been in TV news since 1997. Tim talked about the turning point in his journalism career, wal...

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 Hera...

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. Adri...

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 clas...

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 H...

On this episode, we’re joined by Frances Solá-Santiago . Frances is a fashion writer at Refinery29 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 wid...

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...

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...

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 North...

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....

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 als...

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 vis...

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 pictur...

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...

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 Chic...

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 proffer...