On our 300th episode we're joined by Cate Charron. Cate is in her 2nd year as a First Amendment reporter for The Indianapolis Star. This is one of five such positions across papers in the USA Today Network, owned by Gannett. It's sponsored by The Freedom Forum's Local Press Initiative and Journalism Funding Partners.

Cate has worked for other newsrooms in Indiana, and rose as high as editor-in-chief at the Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University, from which she graduated in 2022.

Cate talked to us about what a First Amendment reporter does, provided examples of the stories she's written, and shared how her work is a collaborative effort with the other first amendment reporters.

Example of coverage: Intellectual diversity story

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2026/09/15/indiana-colleges-see-increase-in-professor-intellectual-diversity-complaints/91709774007/

Cate's salutes: The student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun, Mirror Indy, and Indianapolis Star accountability and investigations editor Tony Cook

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On our 299th episode, Mark Simon is joined by Kae Petrin.

Kae is a data and graphics reporter for Civic News Company's data visuals team. Kae collaborates with local reporters to tell data-driven stories about education, voting rights, and health care. Kae has been with this organization for nearly 5 years.

They are also the co-founder of the Trans Journalists Association, which began in 2020.

Mark and Kae talked about what goes into being a data reporter, the different types of stories they work on, the goals of the Trans Journalists Association, and what it was like to do a Knight Fellowship.

Kae's salutes: Lex McMenamin, movement building reporter for The Guardian

Kae's website: https://petrinkae.github.io/

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You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here,

Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org

Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org

Mark Simon’s website MarkSimonmedia.com

Mark Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-simon-92355124/

On this episode we're joined by Nancy Martinez Preyor-Johnson. Nancy is a senior projects reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. She was formerly a metro editor and editorial page editor and won awards for her opinion writing about the Uvalde school shooting and about immigration. She also used to be a high school journalism teacher. She's on the executive board for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists as their vice-president of print. She is a graduate of Texas A&M-Kingsville with a masters from UTSA

Nancy talked about covering a scandal related to ex-congressman Tony Gonzales and the challenges of reporting such stories. She shared the goals of the NAHJ and related her experience as a middle school and high school journalism teacher.

Nancy's salute: All the non-profit journalism newsrooms

Example of coverage of congressman Gonzales

https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/tony-gonzales-texts-regina-santos-aviles-pictures-21362068.php

ubscribe to our newsletter here

You can find all our episode guides for teachers and professors here,

Please support your local public radio station: adoptastation.org

Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org

Mark Simon’s website MarkSimonmedia.com

Mark Simon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-simon-92355124/