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 planned closure of the Hebrew Union College rabbinical school in Cincinnati. Lev also talked about the complexities of reporting on sensitive issues, like the Israel-Hamas war. He also shared what it’s b ..read more

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 on her work. She also provided insights into her writing process, especially as to how it pertained to an 8,000-word piece about BYU’s production of Fiddler On The Roof.  Story examples - Fiddler ..read more

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 interview. He is well aware of my desire to have a diverse guest base in every respect.) Michael is a professional journalist who has dealt with drug and alcohol abuse issues and served 8 1/2 years in p ..read more

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 law and police procedure, delaying and mishandling missing person cases. The series revealed a racial bias that disproportionately impacts Black women and girls and how poor police data is making the problem ..read more

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 baseball community.  The conversation covers Christina's work on LGBT civil rights issues, memorable baseball stories, including her interview with Minnie Minoso, and her approach to sports jo ..read more

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 delivery at Bloomberg, emphasizing the significance of multimedia in news reporting.  Additionally, she touches on her passion for women in journalism and her recent foray into authorship with her ..read more

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, the mission and responsibilities of the newspaper, the significance of local news, and their personal passions and values as journalists. They highlight the importance of community engagement, collabora ..read more

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 shared parts of his life story leading up to getting this job, including how he sold comics he created in Union Square and slept in an art studio. He explained the break he got that led to doing a drawi ..read more

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 norms and targeting vulnerable populations, written with the command and authority of a veteran political observer.”  Brian talked about how he formulates his Pulitzer-nominated columns, his day-to-d ..read more

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 his Hmong heritage impacts his work, the lessons he learned at his different stops, the kind of stories he’s reported on, ranging from the celebration of Hmong New Year to the shortage of Latino doctor ..read more