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 examples of his work, including pieces on a day at a megachurch’s moneymaking event, potential environmental pollution near Lake Superior, the closing of a popular McDonald’s, and the troubles of Minneapoli ..read more

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 V University in Rabat Morocco and a masters in journalism and strategic media from the University of Arkansas. She is writing a book, Blindness is the Light of My Life. Her backstory is remarkable. Itt ..read more

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 and medicine.  Kim was born in Malaysia. She is a graduate of Cal Tech who got her doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Chicago.  She talked about her non-traditional path to ..read more

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 Beatrice Forman (11:27), and 7 college student journalists ranging in age from teenager to 50s: JD Delcastillo (Florida Atlantic, starts at 20:48), Ashley Atkins (Monroe County Community College, 24:34), Aud ..read more

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-transgender legislation across the country. She told us about the stories she’s most proud of, ranging from a rebuttal of an erroneous New York Times piece that got more than 4 million pageviews to a personal s ..read more

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 Virginian Pilot. He explained his roles at CNN, first as a news writer and now as an editor, taking big stories and helping make them easily readable for CNN’s audience. Amir also discussed his work w ..read more

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 promoting activities all week devoted to bringing awareness to journalism education. Adriana talked about her work as a teacher at one of the smallest schools in the city, one whose demographics are more tha ..read more

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 career as a novelist with 10 novels to his credit, as well as co-authoring Say Their Names, How Black Lives Came to Matter in America. And he’s the founder and president of the National Book Club Confer ..read more

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 longtime columnist and managing editor at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. It focuses on poverty, power and public policy in Memphis and the systems that make it hard for workers to make ends meet – issues that Ma ..read more

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 and how going to Howard University shaped her as a journalist. She shared her experience as a doula, helping women through labor and baby delivery. And she was frank about how covering breaking news stor ..read more