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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], visit our website at thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok!