The Journalism Salute Mark Simon

On this episode, we’re joined by Colleen Cronin. Colleen is a reporter for ecoRI News, a non-profit dedicated to reporting on environmental and social justice issues in southern New England.

Colleen covers rural Rhode Island. She’s been with ecoRI for a year-and-a- half as part of Report for America.

Colleen is a graduate of Brown University where she was editor in chief of The Brown Daily Herald. She also worked briefly at The Boston Globe.

Colleen talked about her journalism origin story. She shared a story of a discussion she had with her father (a police officer) about

an early piece she wrote on racial profiling and how that impacted his

perspective. She also talked about her interest in environmental

reporting and the kind of stories she covers on her beat, ranging from leaf peeping to the teaching of humane ways of killing fish to coverage of mass transit issues and access to public records about car crashes.

And she talked about the different ways she manages her mental health and the journalism issue most important to her.

Colleen’s salutes:

Ivy Scott and Shannon Larson, Boston Globe

The Brown Daily Herald Staff

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Adrianna Adame. Adrianna is an indigenous democracy and education reporter for Buffalo’s Fire via Report for America.

Buffalo’s Fire is a non-profit website that produces independent journalism to enhance the quality of life for Native communities through news coverage that informs and engages American Indians and lifts up our stories to the broader culture.

Adrianna is No. 2 on the masthead, the site’s lone reporter. She is a 2020 grad of Cal State San Marcos and has a masters from Syracuse. She is of Mexican heritage and an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana.

Adrianna talked about her journalism path and previous work experiences. She explained how she has been reconnecting to her Native roots while working in this job. And she shared what it was like to report on stories such as one about a memorial walk for Indian Boarding School survivors, another on a homeless shelter working to promote sobriety and one on the New Year’s Eve traditions of her great grandmother.

Adrianna’s salute: IndigiNews

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode we’re joined by Joseph Bustos. Joseph is a state government and politics reporter at The State, a McClatchy-owned newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University who has previously been a reporter for 3 other papers. He’s been with The State for 4 years and can be found on Twitter at @JoeBReporter.

Joseph talked about a photojournalism class that served as a turning point for his journalistic skills. He explained his interest in government and politics and his approach to covering the Republican primary candidates and other South Carolina politicians. He gave us examples of his reporting and of what a day in the life is like on the beat, including where the adrenaline rush moments come from.

Joseph’s salutes: John Monk, The State and Nick Reynolds, Charleston Post & Courier.

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Rochelle Estrada. Rochelle is a senior journalism major at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. She is the president of the William Paterson chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

The chapter just won the award for student chapter of the year, the 2nd time in 4 years that William Paterson has earned that distinction under professor Nick Hirshon.

Rochelle talked about her broadcast journalism aspirations, the different activities and events that the SPJ chapter does, and about some of the work she’s most proud of.

Rochelle’s salutes: Society of Professional Journalists and The National Center on Disability and Journalism

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Frances Solá-Santiago. Frances is a fashion writer at Refinery 29 and also does freelance work for other prominent outlets. She’s a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico and Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Frances talked about how the MTV show ‘The Hills’ and an early interest in fashion magazines set her career path. She explained the wide range of stories that touch fashion that she covers (one week Chat GPT, another week, famous scammers, another week a personal piece on engagement rings). She talked about the importance of covering Latinx in fashion and music. And she shared what her first book will be about.

Frances’ salutes:

Andrea González Ramirez, The Cut and founder of Latinas in Journalism Mentorship Program

Claudia Irizarry Aponte, The City
Talk: https://youtu.be/ToCS24hfaN4?t=1899

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

On this episode, we’re joined by Marjorie Cortez. Marjorie is an education reporter for the Deseret News in Utah. Prior to her current role on the Utah InDepth team, she was an editorial writer, columnist and Sunday opinion section editor. She’s been a journalist for three decades.

For those unfamiliar, The Deseret News covers news locally and nationally and is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American West. The company that owns the publication is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Marjorie talked about working the education beat, which includes a lot of coverage of social issues. She talked to us about what it was like to cover a high school graduation in a prison and some of the difficult choices she faced in writing that story. She provided examples of other work she’s done recently as well. She discussed what it is like to write stories now compared to when she first started. And she gave a great example of something she learned from making a mistake.

Story examples:

Graduation ceremony in a prison

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/6/5/23746993/utah-state-prison-earning-diploma-while-incarcerated

A bus that doubles as a homeless shelter
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/3/29/23643677/nomad-alliance-bus-homeless-shelter-winter-weather


Marjorie’s Salute: The Education Writer’s Association

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.