On this episode we're joined by Nicole Carr.

Nicole is a journalism professor at Morehouse College and author of the new book, The Price of Exclusion, The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation.

She's previously been a TV reporter in North Carolina, and in Atlanta, where she won four Emmys. And she was an investigative reporter for ProPublica.

Nicole has a degree in mass communications from Winston Salem State, a masters from Syracuse, and is currently studying for a doctorate at Clark-Atlanta University.

Nicole talked about her book writing journey and why she wrote it. She explained how she linked past to present with the story of her great grandfather's becoming a doctor and his work as one, in conjunction with an explanation about the shortage of Black doctors in America. She provided tips for those interviewing people "in the fourth quarter of their lives" and explained how a cold e-mail to Kamala Harris' father led to a gold mine of information.

We also talked about an article Nicole wrote for ProPublica about a school administrator from Maryland who took a new job in Georgia and was promptly chased out of town by overzealous anti-Critical Race Theory parents.

If you were a fan of the Longform podcast, I think you'll like the approach we took in this episode.

Link to Nicole's book

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-price-of-exclusion-nicole-carr

Nicole's ProPublica story

https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-dei-crt-schools-parents

Nicole on the importance of the Black Press

https://theemancipator.org/2024/11/09/topics/movements/the-black-press-democratized-america/

Nicole's salute: Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting & The Committee to Protect Journalists

Nicole's book recommendations: Caste, The Origin of Our Discontent & The Warmth of Other Suns (Isabel Wilkerson), How The Word Is Passed (Clint Smith)

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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 Ben Camacho. Ben is a journalist, documentary photographer, and producer. His work focused on state-sponsored violence, subjects like police brutality, and the communities impacted by it. He's a graduate of the University of La Verne and is based around Los Angeles.

Ben's work has been published in major outlets, like New York Magazine, and also on his Substack, Inadvertent and West Side Storytellers.

We talked with Ben about the different things he's covered and the experiences he's had doing the reporting. He shared insights about the double standard that exists when covering police brutality protests (white reporters and photographers are managed differently by police). Ben also offered advice for aspiring journalists in covering projects like the ones he does.

Ben's salutes: Joey Scott and Cerise Castle, who both cover similar subjects as Ben does

New York Magazine piece The Terror Of Life Under ICE

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ice-raids-los-angeles-terror.html

Immigration Courts Have Become Hunting Grounds For ICE

https://lapublicpress.org/2025/08/la-immigration-courts-have-become-hunting-grounds-for-ice-agents/

Poynter story on double standards in media treatment

https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2021/at-police-lines-not-all-journalists-are-created-equal/

The Blue Hand documentary

https://www.inadvertent.news/p/the-blue-hand

Subscribe 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

Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com

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 Ginny Monk. Ginny is a reporter covering children's issues and housing for the non-profit Connecticut Mirror and along with three others just won a Pulitzer Prize.

Wrote the Pulitzer Board: "For an impressive series exposing how the state’s unique towing laws favored unscrupulous companies that overcharged residents, prompting swift and meaningful consumer protections."

Ginny previously worked for a few different places, including 4 years with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She is a native of Pencil Bluff, Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Arkansas.

Ginny talked about the work she did as part of a team covering those towing stories. She also discussed a piece she wrote over several years covering foster adoption. She shared examples of the work she did and her writing process.

The Pulitzer series

https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/dave-altimari-and-ginny-monk-connecticut-mirror-and-sophie-chou-and-haru-coryne-propublica

The Foster Adoption story

https://ctmirror.org/2025/12/02/ct-foster-parents-rights-case/

Ginny's Salute: Arkansas Press Women

Subscribe 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

Thank you for listening. You can e-mail me at journalismsalute@gmail.com

Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org

Mark’s website (MarkSimonmedia.com)