175 episodes
The Journalism Salute Mark Simon
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 21 Ratings
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The Journalism Salute is a journalism appreciation podcast. We interview working journalists about who they are and what they do.
Our aim is to have diverse guests, thoughtful questions, and interesting conversation.
If you're an aspiring journalist, you'll learn potential careers to pursue and tips to put to use.
If you're an experienced journalist, you'll learn about like-minded members of your profession with notable stories to tell.
And if you're not a journalist, we hope you'll garner or further an appreciation for journalists and realize that they are NOT the enemy.
Try us!
And find us at our website or on Twitter and e-mail us at journalismsalute@gmail.com
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Chatwan Mongkol: Creator, The Nutgraf
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 journalism path (he was born in Bangkok, Thailand), his brief career as a newspaper reporter, and the types of stories in the newsletter. He also spoke about a certificate program for journalism entrepreneurs at CUNY-Newmark School that he’s participating in.
Newsletter examples
Student journalists in states where DE&I offices are being eliminated
Students covering school shootings
Lesser-known student newspapers that made an impact
Chatwan’s salutes:
College newspapers at Quinnipiac, Michigan State, and Michigan
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com -
Rebecca Worby, Editorial Director: Reasons To Be Cheerful
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 world’s most pressing problems. Their newsletter has 135,000 subscribers and the stories in it literally span the globe.
Rebecca talked about her journalism path, which includes getting a masters degree in creative non-fiction, and time as an editor of travel guides. She explained what makes a story appropriate for Reasons To Be Cheerful and provided examples of the kinds of stories they like.
1)Make America Rake Again – A story about trying to wean people off gas-powered leaf blowers
2) One from Vilnius, Lithuania – about “Befriend Vilnius” a program that provides mentorship to Ukranian migrants.
3) How student journalists are stepping up to fill news deserts
And we discussed a piece she wrote for Lithub.com, linking together several crimes – vandalism in national parks, the stealing of Native American artifacts on public lands, and dismantled sculptures.
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com -
Jay Boller, co-founder: Racket
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 Minneapolis Public Radio.
Jay also explained how starting a writer-owned, reader-funded journalism business is challenging and not necessarily for everyone.
Jay’s salute: Minnesota Reformer
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com -
167. Itto Outini, Blind Journalist- The Datekeepers
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.
Itto talked about her origin story and some of the notable stories she’s written, like one about a blind cricketer and another about how immigrants have to deal with remittances for family and friends. She also shared how some people are more willing to open up to her because of her being blind and how she comes up with story ideas.
Itto’s salute: Nicholas Kristof
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com -
166. Shi En Kim PHD, Science Writer, Co-Founder of Sequencer
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 journalism (“One long overcorrection …”), the process by which she comes up with story ideas and reports on stories, how being a journalist has impacted her life, and a new journalism collective project she’s working on, Sequencer.
Notable links
- Article on precision cancer drugs and access to them
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/precision-cancer-drugs-glitter-with-promise-if-you-can-get-them/
- Article on the world’s smelliest flower
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/cultivating-the-worlds-largest-stinkiest-flower-is-no-small-task
- Article on pesticides and the link to childhood chancer in Brazil
https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/study-links-pesticides-to-child-cancer-deaths-in-brazilian-amazon-cerrado/
- Sequencer
https://www.sequencermag.com/welcome-to-sequencer/
Kim’s salutes
- The Open Notebook
- Jane C Hu
- Brent Crane
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com -
Special Episode: College Media Association Convention Recap (9 Interviews!)
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 (:54), Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Beatrice Forman (11:11), and 7 college student journalists ranging in age from teenager to 50s: JD Delcastillo (Florida Atlantic, starts at 20:32), Ashley Atkins (Monroe County Community College, 24:18), Audrey Gavagan (Rochester Institute of Technology, 29:46), Jacquelyn Reaves (Ithaca College, 33:28), Paul Czarnecki (University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 38:20), Megan Martinez (Capital University, 42:45), and Sagel Gurreh (Capital University, 46:44)
Journalism Salutes
Jackie Alexander: All student journalists
Beatrice Forman: Hell Gate, Katie Way
JD Delcastillo: The Athletic, ESPN West Palm Beach
Ashley Atkins: Matthew Bird-Meyer, advisor, The Agora
Audrey Gavagan: Pro Publica
Jacquelyn Reaves: The Ithacan
Paul Czarnecki: Laura Austin Eurich, ESPN, Annika Schmidt
Megan Martinez: Adrian Suppes, editor-in-chief, Capital University Chimes
Sagel Gurreh: Motas Azaiza, Palestinian photojournalist\
Notable Quotes
“It's made me more curious about things I wouldn't be curious about.”
“In these times, it's so important to be on the right side of history and truth and showing what is happening.”
"That she got tears in her eyes from reading her own story that I wrote made me feel really good.”
Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com,
Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org
Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)
Tweet us at @journalismpod.
Subscribe to our newsletter- journalismsalute.substack.com
Customer Reviews
A valuable resource
In addition to providing ample substantiation for his podcast’s raison d’être - the desire to prove that journalism is not the enemy of the people- Mark Simon is creating an invaluable portrait of the contemporary journalism landscape. In many instances, these are the workaday journalists most of us never hear about- the small-town editors who keep family-owned papers alive; the young reporters striving against all kinds of odds to report fairly and honestly across our nation’s fault lines of race, gender, class, generation and geography; the educators and advocates laboring to preserve this crucial pillar of democratic civil society. Mark is a well-prep and unobtrusive interviewer who guides each conversation with a sure hand. I recommend this podcast to the casual listener who is curious about journalism as well as to practicing journalists, educators and scholars.
Rolli
Just listened to the most recent podcast about Rolli…wow! Nick was such a great guest and the questions asked made the podcast feel like a story. I also learned tons of genuinely useful info about media, journalism, and production. 5 stars!
Journalism isn’t dead
So happy to see someone praising journalism and journalists for the work they do. News literacy is so important these days. Bravo to Mark for championing this!!