On this episode we're joined by Alana Van Der Sluys. Alana is a journalism teacher at Kinnelon High School in Kinnelon, New Jersey. Alana was a guest on episode 16 on this podcast back in December 2020. She's back nearly 250 episodes later to reflect on what happened since, which includes writing a book. Alana is a graduate of Iona University with masters' from there and Montclair State.

Alana talked about her experience as a teacher, how her program includes the possibility of college credit, how the value of journalism goes beyond the class itself, and her own writing about a difficult personal experience.

Kinnelon Colt Chronicle School Newspaper: https://coltchronicle.org/

Alana's salutes: Ava Gutkin (Colt Chronicle editor-in-chief), The Garden State Scholastic Press Association, Anna Helhoski (Nerd Wallet)

Alana's book: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Food-Fitness-Alana-Sluys/dp/1953027199

You'll also hear from Anita Pinto, a speech therapist for Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology, a high school in Manhattan in which she started a journalism club last year. Anitahas been checking in with us once a month to let us know how her club is doing, the challenges the students face, and the things they learn. We thank the non-profit Press Pass NYC for connecting us with her.

Anita'sSchool Newspaper: The Gateway Times

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

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

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On this episode we're joined by Stacy Kess. Stacy is a journalist and the founder and head of editorial for Equal Access Public Media. She's a graduate of Indiana University and is based in Boston.

The mission of Equal Access Public Media is to make news more accessible to all audiences so that it is more inclusive of those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and others with accessibility needs; and to make jobs more accessible to journalists with disabilities, with chronic illnesses, who are military veterans, and who are caregivers.

Stacy talked about her connection to disability, what her organization does and its points of emphasis, the importance of alt text, and why she believes journalism is a calling.

Stacy's salute: 4 journalism professors she interviewed: Nicole Carr, Meghan Irons, Nicki Mayo, and Jason Strother

Donate to Equal Access Public Media: https://equalaccesspublicmedia.org/

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by David Covucci. David is the editor-in-chief of FOIAball – FOIA standing for "Freedom of Information Act." It's a newsletter that uses public records reporting to investigate college football. As he said- collectives, consultants, cops, contracts, and communications.

Whether or not you like sports, I think you'll find this conversation informative as we're going to talk about the idea of finding a niche in a very crowded field.

David's past experience in journalism includes time as a news editor for BroBible and the senior tech and politics editor for nearly 9 years at The Daily Dot. He's a graduate of Virginia Tech.

David talked about his experience with FOIA requests and what led him to doing a newsletter centered around them. He gave examples of the kinds of stories he's done (from tax fraud allegations to how much schools spend on entertaining recruits), and how accidental discoveries can lead to significant revelations.

The website: FOIAball.com

David's salutes: College sports newsletter founder Matt Brown, Daniel Libit (Sportico), Matt Baker (The Athletic), Jason Leopold (Bloomberg News)

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Sam Donndelinger. Sam is an investigative journalist and lead designer for Uncloseted Media.

Uncloseted Media is a non-profit newsroom started by NYU professor Spencer MacNaughton to do investigative reporting on LGBTQ issues. It has 4 full-time employees and well-followed Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok accounts. Sam has won multiple awards for her reporting. She's a recent graduate of NYU.

Sam talked about the kinds of stories she covers and the importance of being an empathetic and present reporter. She explained the design role she has. And she shared why a job like this is the best fit for her.

Sam's salute: Liz Plank

Examples of stories:

Transgender men and struggles with eating disorders

https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/transgender-men-experience-eating

Google and conversion therapy

https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/google-sends-parents-of-lgbtq-kids

Unequitable access to drugs that would deter HIV

https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/unraveling-the-urgent-unspoken-struggle

More on Sam's life and backstory

https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/why-am-i-still-explaining-being-bisexual

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Ben Chase. Ben is a two-time guest. We talked to him in 2021 when he was a reporter for the Huron Daily Plainsman in Huron, South Dakota (population ~14,000, one-third of which is Hispanic or Asian). Now he's the paper's managing editor, a role he's held for roughly a year … and it's been quite a year as he’ll share.

The paper was shut down (briefly), sold, and brought back, but with some changes, including fewer print editions and a directive to be more local.

Ben talked about running a small-town newspaper, the types of things the paper covers, how he writes his weekly op-ed piece, and how his stress relief is … more journalism (of a different type).

Ben's salute: South Dakota Searchlight

Example of Ben's Op-Eds – "It's Not The Same."

https://www.plainsman.com/stories/its-not-the-same,163806

Background on the sale of the newspaper

https://www.plainsman.com/stories/plainsman-three-other-south-dakota-papers-purchased-by-champion-media,148535

https://www.midstory.org/can-local-news-survive-south-dakota-says-yes/

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

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On this episode we're joined by Jules Roscoe. Jules is an independent journalist (freelance writer) who covers labor and technology from a national perspective and politics from a local perspective.

Jules has written for (among other places), 404 Media, The Boston Guardian, Vice, Wired, and Matter News, is a 2024 graduate of NYU, and works full-time as a legal proofreader.

We talked about Jules' experience, approach to writing stories (why it needs to sound good to the ear) and why a 'stupid question' is often a good question.

Plus, we'll get an update from Anita Pinto, adviser to The Gateway Times at Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology in New York City. She's been providing monthly reports on what her students have been doing. One highlight: They got to visit the New York Post. You can hear Anita's original interview with me here.

Jules' salutes: 404 Media, and journalists Ken Klippenstein and Matthew Gault

Work examples

UPS workers driving in heat story

https://www.vice.com/en/article/ups-workers-share-horror-stories-about-driving-in-heat/

Indonesian fishermen story

https://www.404media.co/they-sometimes-worry-that-im-dead-already-deep-sea-fishers-fight-for-wi-fi/

Other stories

https://muckrack.com/julesaroscoe

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com

On this episode we're joined by Megan Tagami. Megan is a reporter covering education for Honolulu Civil Beat, a non-profit newsroom in Hawaii. She's a native of Honolulu and a 2023 graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science and government.

Megan talked about her entry into journalism, how she overcame her hesitance to ask people questions, explained her writing process, and shared the kinds of stories she covers on the education beat. Lots of good lessons for aspiring journalists from the perspective of a young writer beginning her career.

Megan's story about mental health and Hawaii schools

https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/08/the-crisis-isnt-over-maui-kids-mental-health-needs-are-mounting/

Megan's story about the librarian shortage

https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/03/hawai%ca%bbi-school-libraries-are-shrinking-when-students-may-need-them-most/

Megan's story about how teachers are dealing with free speech and challenging discussion topics, like Charlie Kirk's assassination

https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/11/whats-controversial-teachers-grapple-with-free-speech-in-hawaii-schools/

Megan's salute: Joe Hong, WNYC

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

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On this episode we're joined by Alyssa Rosenberg. Alyssa is a former editor and columnist for The Washington Post. She was at the Post for 11 and a half years, the last year and a half was spent as the letters and community editor.

After the Post declined to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election she invited readers to write in. The result was 21,000 letters. And over a 6-month period, Alyssa read every one. She wrote about this recently for NOTUS (News of the United States) and she joined us to talk about her work and career.

Alyssa explained what her job as a letters editor was like, her process for editing (and shortening letters), what one goes through when they read 21,000 letters on the same subject, and the value of allowing someone to feel heard.

Alyssa's article for NOTUS about the 21,000 letters

https://www.notus.org/perspectives/the-washington-post-got-21-000-emails-after-it-didnt-endorse-i-read-them-all

Youth 250 Writing Program

https://historymadebyus.org/youth250

Across The Movie Aisle Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/across-the-movie-aisle/id1491840893

The Shop Around The Corner- Children's Book Newsletter

https://alyssarosenberg.substack.com/

Alyssa's salutes: Shane Harris, The Atlantic, Richard Just, Notus

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)

Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.social

Subscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.beehiiv.com