13 episodes
Black Journalists on Journalism Donnell Suggs & Zuri Berry
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- Business
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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Have you ever wondered who that Black journalist was behind the story you were reading? Or who was that Black face you saw on TV? Or that Black voice you heard on the radio?
Maybe you wanted to know more about them?
If so, you’re just like us.
Get to know the Black journalists behind the stories and organizations we’re all reading, watching, and listening to.
Hosted by Donnell Suggs, the editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Voice, and Zuri Berry, the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts.
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Tracie Powell on investing in the future of journalism
Tracie Powell is the founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news.
Earlier this month, Tracie’s organization invested $150,000 into the Baltimore Beat, a black-owned and woman-lead alternative newspaper. The investment comes after The Pivot Fund has already committed to providing $2 million to news organizations serving Black, Hispanic, and Asian American audiences in Georgia.
In this episode of Black Journalists on Journalism, she talks with Zuri about how she came to be a professional journalist, her background covering media policy and legislative issues, and when she developed the idea for The Pivot Fund.
We also dig into why she invested in the Baltimore Beat. (Full disclosure: Zuri works in Baltimore at The Baltimore Banner.) And we talk about the advice she finds herself giving to news publishers trying to survive this media environment.
Follow Tracie on X @TMPowell or on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciepowell/.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and now Baltimore. He’s originally from San Francisco.
Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! -
Micha Green of the Washington Informer left theater for journalism
Micha Green is the managing editor of The Washington Informer, one of the country’s top Black newspapers. Micha shares her journey from theater to journalism while highlighting the significance of the Black press in her career development. She also weighs in on the state of the industry.
Follow Micha on X @MichaPGreen.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. -
Did the media do a good job? Claudine Gay, Fani Willis and more
We’re back from hiatus. We talk about the importance of Black representation in journalism and evaluate how the media fared covering the Claudine Gay debacle, Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis, the appointment of Raheem Morris as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and layoffs in journalism.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. -
Pulitzer Prize winner Corey G. Johnson on the need for more Black investigative reporting
Corey Johnson is an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a Pulitzer Prize winner for a series of stories on lead for the Tampa Bay Times. Corey is also a co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.
In this episode, he shares his unorthodox journey into journalism, from his early days in Atlanta to his first opportunity in North Carolina. He discusses the importance of curiosity, resilience, and cultural competency in investigative reporting. Corey also highlights the need for more Black investigative journalists and the work being done by the Ida B. Wells Society to support and mentor aspiring journalists.
Follow Corey on X/Twitter @CoreyGJohnson.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com.
Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! -
Donnell Suggs on how he took the initiative to find opportunities in journalism
In this episode, we’re doing something different by telling our own stories.
We’re going to begin with Donnell Suggs. He’s the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Voice and a reporter for The Gainesville Times. He walks us through his career journey, including his start as a music and sports writer in New York, how he ended up in Atlanta, and his role leading Atlanta’s oldest Black newspaper.
We also get into Twitter’s recent changes (before transitioning to X), the Black-owned app Spill, and where this podcast will show up online.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com.
Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! -
Nicole Carr on becoming an investigative reporter and why the job title matters
Nicole Carr is an Atlanta-based investigative reporter for ProPublica and an adjunct professor at Morehouse College.
Nicole talks with us about money, how she created opportunities for herself, the pathway to becoming an investigative journalist, her forthcoming book, and she offers some advice for young journalists.
We also discuss her story, "White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town. Then, They Followed Her to the Next One," which was published to much acclaim.
Special shout-outs in this episode go to Jummy Olabanji, Ron Thomas, and Greg Lee.
Follow Nicole on Twitter @NicoleFCarr.
Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.
More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.
More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He's originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com.
Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening!
Customer Reviews
Insights on journalism and careers in field
Great interviews. Sometimes the fact that they are Black is central; sometimes the guests are just excellent journalists who are Black. But in any case, the interviews are insightful about the craft of journalism and how to succeed in the field. Would recommend to anyone interested in journalism and particularly anyone trying to get into, or considering, the profession..