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 been like to cover visits by teachers to prominent sites connected to the Holocaust.

Lev’s story on the college closing

https://cincyjewfolk.com/2024/04/19/how-to-close-a-campus-huc-jir-bleeds-money-while-cincinnati-pays-the-price/

Lev’s salute: Tovah Lazoroff, The Jerusalem Post

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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 on the Roof

- The Talmud and Kristi Noem

- Odd places the war has been referenced

- Brown University encampments

- Bintel Brief advice column

Mira’s salute: Andrew Silverstein, freelance writer

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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 prison in Florida for a drunk driving car accident that happened in 2014.

Prior to that he was managing editor of the school newspaper at Florida Atlantic and managing editor of the South Florida Gay News. He currently writes for a variety of outlets, including BestColleges.com and is currently applying to law schools.

Michael talked candidly about his life, what led to his incarceration, and what he did in prison that kept him moving towards a path of writing and journalism. He also went through some of the highlights from the winners of the Stillwater Awards and explained the importance of elevating prison journalism and prison journalists.

Stillwater Awards winners: https://www.spj.org/stillwater-2024.asp

Michael's salutes: Prison Journalism Project and The Marshall Project

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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 harder to solve.

The interview explores how the project began, challenges faced during the investigation, personal experiences that shaped their journalism journeys, the importance of accurate data, and the value of community involvement in journalism. The conversation also highlights the duo's personal mental health strategies while working on this emotionally taxing project.

Sarah’s Salutes: Chicago photojournalist & reporter Sebastian Hidalgo

Trina’s Salutes: Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago

About City Bureau:

City Bureau is a Chicago-based nonprofit journalism lab reimagining local media: how we make it, who can make it, and how it can better reflect people’s priorities and needs. We do this by equipping people with skills and resources, engaging in critical public conversations, and producing information that directly addresses people’s needs. Our programs equip people with skills, resources, and connections, creating pathways for a more participatory democracy. Drawing from our work in Chicago, we aim to equip every community with the tools it needs to eliminate information inequity to further liberation, justice and self-determination

To learn more about City Bureau, listen to our interview with its co-founder, Bettina Chang

About Invisible Institute:

The Invisible Institute is a nonprofit journalism production company on the South Side of Chicago. We work to enhance the capacity of citizens to hold public institutions accountable. As we address the racial inequities that deform our society, we also work to alter the asymmetrical power dynamic within journalism by creating the conditions for people to drive their own narratives, putting our craft at the service of their experience. Our work is organized around a central principle: we have co-responsibility with the government for maintaining respect for human rights and, when abuses occur, for demanding redress.

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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 journalism. Christina emphasizes the importance of local reporting, investigative journalism, and covering broader issues within sports.

Christina's salute: Sarah Langs, a baseball data journalist battling ALS

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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 book 'My Broken Road, The Tangled and Twisted Musings of an Autism Mama' which shares her experiences as a mother of two children on the autism spectrum.

The episode provides insights into Stacie's career, her achievements, and her dedication to journalism and storytelling.

Her blog: Brielle's Voice

Stacie's Salute: Student Journalists at Columbia University and The College of New Jersey

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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, collaboration, and trust in sustaining impactful local journalism. The episode also touches on their roles, editorial experiences, and ambitions for future projects that enhance community connections.

Article of note: We Have A Choice About How We Respond To Hate

https://www.chestnuthilllocal.com/stories/we-have-a-choice-about-how-we-respond-to-hate,29308

Their salutes (besides their staff):

Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative, Kouvenda Media, Broad Street Review, Dosage Magazine, WURD Radio, the NABJ, and the NLGJA.

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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 drawing for The New York Times, one that was seen by an editor at The New Yorker, which eventually led to his Pulitzer-winning series of drawings and an essay.

Medar walked us through the different drawings, explaining his process for several of them. He detailed what it was like to be a library worker in one of the country’s most famous prisons. He also talked about the future, which includes a book about his experience, and described why he finds libraries so appealing.

You can find the Pulitzer-winning article here

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-diary-of-a-rikers-island-library-worker?_ga=2.225364825.2128249421.1717466611-743932481.1715143392

Medar’s salute: Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda

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