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.
Steve Novotney, Lede News (West Virginia)
Kassidy Arena (Iowa Public Radio & Report For America)
College Media Roundtable: Hadriana Lowenkron & J.D. Duggan
Columnist, Book Author, Professor Fernanda Santos
Graham Lee Brewer, NBC News, Native American Journalists Association
Dr. Ed Madison, Journalistic Learning Initiative
Ben Chase: From Social Worker to Small-Town Journalist for The Huron Daily Plainsman
Iliana Limón Romero & Ashley Colley of The Association for Women in Sports Media
Barbara Crossette: Covering the U.N. for PassBlue to Round Out a 50+ Year Career
Donna Ladd & Ashton Pittman - Important Investigative Reporting for the Mississippi Free Press
Khushbu Shah of The Fuller Project on Covering Women's Issues Nationally and Globally
The Marjorie: Covering Women & The Environment in Florida
The 1619 Project As A Teaching Tool for High School Journalists
Hadar Harris of the Student Press Law Center on Supporting & Defending Press Freedom
Ken Lemon On How The NABJ Is Raising Important Issues For Black Journalists
Journalism teacher P.J. Cabrera on Being An Educator of Color, Scholastic Journalism Week & More
Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight on The Ways He Analyzes Elections
Robin Kemp of the Clayton Crescent: 21 Hours of Election Coverage and a Lifetime Connected to Journalism
Morgan Mullings of the Bay State Banner & Report For America On The Beginning of a Journalism Career
NAHJ VP Arelis Hernández on fair treatment for Hispanic journalists and reporting for the Washington Post
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Freakonomics Radio
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
Criminal
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World