Pulitzer Prize winner Corey G. Johnson on the need for more Black investigative reporting

Tracie Powell is the founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news.

Earlier this month, Tracie’s organization invested $150,000 into the Baltimore Beat, a black-owned and woman-lead alternative newspaper. The investment comes after The Pivot Fund has already committed to providing $2 million to news organizations serving Black, Hispanic, and Asian American audiences in Georgia.

In this episode of Black Journalists on Journalism, she talks with Zuri about how she came to be a professional journalist, her background covering media policy and legislative issues, and when she developed the idea for The Pivot Fund.

We also dig into why she invested in the Baltimore Beat. (Full disclosure: Zuri works in Baltimore at The Baltimore Banner.) And we talk about the advice she finds herself giving to news publishers trying to survive this media environment.

Follow Tracie on X @TMPowell or on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciepowell/.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and now Baltimore. He’s originally from San Francisco.

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Micha Green is the managing editor of The Washington Informer, one of the country’s top Black newspapers. Micha shares her journey from theater to journalism while highlighting the significance of the Black press in her career development. She also weighs in on the state of the industry.

Follow Micha on X @MichaPGreen.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com.

We’re back from hiatus. We talk about the importance of Black representation in journalism and evaluate how the media fared covering the Claudine Gay debacle, Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis, the appointment of Raheem Morris as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and layoffs in journalism.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Corey Johnson is an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a Pulitzer Prize winner for a series of stories on lead for the Tampa Bay Times. Corey is also a co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.

In this episode, he shares his unorthodox journey into journalism, from his early days in Atlanta to his first opportunity in North Carolina. He discusses the importance of curiosity, resilience, and cultural competency in investigative reporting. Corey also highlights the need for more Black investigative journalists and the work being done by the Ida B. Wells Society to support and mentor aspiring journalists.

Follow Corey on X/Twitter @CoreyGJohnson.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

In this episode, we’re doing something different by telling our own stories. 

We’re going to begin with Donnell Suggs. He’s the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlanta Voice and a reporter for The Gainesville Times. He walks us through his career journey, including his start as a music and sports writer in New York, how he ended up in Atlanta, and his role leading Atlanta’s oldest Black newspaper. 

We also get into Twitter’s recent changes (before transitioning to X), the Black-owned app Spill, and where this podcast will show up online. 

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com. 

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter. 

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Nicole Carr is an Atlanta-based investigative reporter for ProPublica and an adjunct professor at Morehouse College.

Nicole talks with us about money, how she created opportunities for herself, the pathway to becoming an investigative journalist, her forthcoming book, and she offers some advice for young journalists.

We also discuss her story, "White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town. Then, They Followed Her to the Next One," which was published to much acclaim. 

Special shout-outs in this episode go to Jummy Olabanji, Ron Thomas, and Greg Lee. 

Follow Nicole on Twitter @NicoleFCarr. 

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com. 

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter. 

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He's originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Caron LeNoir is a journalist, podcaster, voice-over artist, and photographer who advocates for women veterans’ issues and mental health support. Caron is a member of the Military Veterans in Journalism speakers’ bureau, which advocates for more nuanced coverage of disabled veterans. She also regularly discusses how to report on women veterans, veteran homelessness, and the VA system. 

Caron served in both the US Army and Navy. She is the founder and executive producer of CARONISMedia Group and CARONISM Audio.

In this episode, Caron tells us about growing up in Baltimore, how she came to join the Navy, becoming a homeless veteran, and how journalists can better cover veterans. 

Follow Caron on Twitter @caronism. Or on Instagram @caronism. 

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com. 

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter. 

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Michael Butler is a real estate reporter for the Miami Herald with a deep history as a freelance tech, music, and features writer. 

Michael tells us how his versatility helped him transition from tech writing to real estate reporting, how he went from freelance writing to a role at the Herald, and about his move from Philadelphia to Miami. 

Follow Michael on Twitter @mikeviimusic. 

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com. 

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter. 

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Deadspin editor and senior writer Carron J. Phillips is known for his spicey columns and sharp takes on Twitter. But too little is known about how he came up as a journalist, including his days as a prep sports writer, as an editorial columnist, and ground-breaking role with the New York Daily News.

Carron discusses his struggles to land his first job, why he’s been so hard on Deion Sanders, and some of the lingering questions he still has about the Deadspin and the New York Times coverage of Rachel Nichols. On the latter, he breaks some news about a deal he had to talk exclusively with Maria Taylor about the situation, which fell apart. He explains why.

This is an exceptionally long episode because it was so good. So we’ve put in some chapter markers so you can skip to what you like.

0:00 Introduction

1:48 Carron’s journalism journey

20:32 How Carron got into opinion journalism

33:15 Shout out to Susan D. Leath

40:36 How Carron came to join the New York Daily News, plus a shout out to Leon Carter

51:35 Transitioning to Deadspin

1:02:02 Why Carron has been so hard on Deion Sanders

1:19:04 Shout out to Steve J. Gaither

1:20:40 Untangling the Rachel Nichols story

1:56:50 Advice for journalists 

1:59:24 Shout outs to Vincent Goodwill and Shauntel Lowe

We also referenced a bunch of stories. Here are the links for your reading and listening pleasure.

SWAC Media Day was a peepshow, and it wasn’t just Deion’s hissy fit: https://deadspin.com/swac-media-day-was-a-poopshow-and-it-wasn-t-just-deion-1847335579

The Coach Prime Predicament: Why Deion Sanders’ success at Jackson State is a slippery slope for HBCUs: https://deadspin.com/the-coach-prime-predicament-why-deion-sanders-success-1848244987

The initial Deadspin story on Rachel Nichols: https://deadspin.com/espn-creep-used-the-jump-video-feed-to-secretly-record-1844398846

The NYT report on the Nichols video one year later: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/04/sports/basketball/espn-rachel-nichols-maria-taylor.html

Carron's column after the New York Times story dropped: https://deadspin.com/rachel-nichols-comments-about-maria-taylor-are-latest-1847231057

Carron joins Deadspin's Ladies' Room podcast to talk about it: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-room/id1543625034?i=1000528064846

Follow Carron on Twitter @carronJphillips.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening! 

Khari Thompson is a general assignment sports reporter for Boston.com — the same job Zuri once held for four and a half years. We talk about his experience covering the Patriots and Celtics, his run-ins with Deion Sanders, James Wiseman, and Penny Hardaway, and get his advice for aspiring sports journalists.

Follow Khari on Twitter @_KhariThompson.

Interested in being on the show? Email blackjournalists@zmcpodcasts.com.

More about Donnell Suggs: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell Suggs is the Editor in Chief of The Atlanta Voice, the city's longest-running Black-owned newspaper. A father and husband, Donnell has wasted years of his life supporting the New York Mets and Jets. Follow Donnell on Twitter @suggswriter.

More about Zuri Berry: Zuri is the owner and principal producer of ZMC Podcasts. He has been a journalist for two decades, working as a reporter, producer, and editor, with stops in California, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. He’s originally from San Francisco. Find Zuri online at https://zuriberry.com. 

Don't forget to support this podcast by visiting https://www.buymeacoffee.com/blackjournos and buying Zuri and Donnell a cup of coffee. It goes a long way! And thanks for listening!