Mitch's Media Musings - April 2022
Mitch's Media Musings
March 16 - April 15, 2022
Spring has sprung and I'm sure all you golfers are loving it! If you'd like to do a bit of putting for a great cause, CBS46 reporter Adam Murphy is running his annual "Miracle Open" charity golf tournament on April 22 at Stone Mountain. Register at www.miracleformom.org. Proceeds go to the Miracle for Mom Foundation and other organizations dedicated to curing and preventing debilitating brain diseases.
4 Questions Journalist Spotlight - Check out our latest interviews with WSB TV's Steve Gehlbach, Fox5's Chris King, and the Neighbor Newspapers' Elizabeth Nouryeh-Clay. You can watch in video format or listen to audio: https://www.leffsatlantamedia.com/q4-journalists. You can also find our podcasts on just about any podcast platform (Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartRadio, etc.). The Spotlight team will be camping next weekend, but we're taping segments this week if you'd like to get your media outlet featured! Email me at mitch@leffassociates.com to set up a taping time.
For journalists, we’ve got a great assortment of sources on a range of topics (more details in the Mitch’s Media Match expert database). If your business has experts they’d like included, let’s connect.
General Sources
After a two year pandemic hiatus, Atlanta’s best geek culture convention, MomoCon, is back bigger and better than ever! More than 40,000 attendees are expected to fill the Georgia World Congress Center Memorial Day Weekend for four days of cosplay, gaming, and music. MomoCon is one of the fastest growing all ages conventions in the country with fans of Japanese anime, American animation, and games coming together. (Contact: Mitch Leff, mitch@leffassociates.com for media credentials.)
Foster care support org Wellroot (www.Wellroot.org): Wellroot’s CEO can speak to topics such as youth trauma and how that impacts crime, runaways, trafficking, unaccompanied immigrant children, mental health, youth homelessness, family preservation issues and more. (Contact Meredith Fletcher at Meredith@PRbyFletcher.com)
Business Sources (Contact: Kim Speece, kim@leffassociates.com)
Jobs in the Skilled Trades - Scott Shelar, CEO, Construction Ready. Demand continues to be high for skilled workers in the construction industry. Construction Ready recently expanding its work beyond Georgia, enhancing its services, offering new training job training classes for adults and K-12 students. (Contact: Kim Speece, kim@leffassociates.com)
Inflation and Pricing – Goizueta Business School professors Saloni Vastani and Tom Smith
Ukraine Sanctions - Goizueta Business School professor Ray Hill on the potential effectiveness of economic sanctions against Russia (Contact: Kim Speece, kim@leffassociates.com)
Accounting and advisory firm Moore Colson (www.MooreColson.com): Experts can speak to topics such as: Inflation/rising costs, supply chain issues, manufacturing, cybersecurity topics, fraud risk, PPP loan guidance, tax issues, financial due diligence, employee benefit plans, labor/workforce challenges and more. (Contact Meredith Fletcher at Meredith@PRbyFletcher.com)
Legal Sources
War Crimes - Emory Law professor Laurie Blank is an expert on international law, conflict law, and war crimes. She can talk about related issues as the Ukraine war continues. (Contact: Kim Speece, kim@leffassociates.com)
Prenups - 2.5 million weddings are expected for 2022 in the US. With so much to plan, couples should not ignore the very important prenuptial agreement. Michael P. Hodes, a family lawyer with Boyd Collar Nolen Tuggle & Roddenbery, advises clients on the financial aspects of divorce, including negotiating/drafting prenups, postups, settlement agreements. (Contact: Ali Beemer, beemer@postoncommunications.)
COVID Vaccine and Related Issues - Dr. Cecil Bennett with Newnan Family Medicine is available to discuss the latest vaccine issues and trends in the pandemic. (Contact: Mitch Leff, mitch@leffassociates.com)
General News
Several Atlanta radio personalities have been inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. They include Rashad Richey (WAOK), Ramona DeBreaux (WVEE), Darlene McCoy (WPZE), Sasha the Diva (WALR), Derek Harper (Radio One Atlanta), and “Hurricane Dave” Smith (Radio One). The late “Mix Master Mitch,” who hosted the “Classix House Party” on Radio One R&B oldies “Classix 102.9,” was also inducted. Link to details.
Associated Press - Sharon Johnson joins at a video journalist/video producer.
Atlanta magazine - Former editorial intern Sierra Jenkins was killed this month during a shooting in Virginia Beach. Link to story.
Atlanta Business Chronicle - Doug Sams has been named Editor in Chief. Sams joined the Chronicle in 2006 as its healthcare reporter before taking over the commercial real estate beat in 2007. Link to article (if you're a Chronicle subscriber)
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Andy Peters departs for CoStar where he'll still be covering commercial real estate
Did I mention that Scott Trubey is now the AJC's Economics Editor?
The AJC won a Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting for their project 'Inside the Campaign to Undermine Georgia's Election."
Capital B News Atlanta - Check out coverage this month about Black maternal health care. This article notes "Black women in Georgia are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than whites." Link
Georgia Public Broadcasting - John Lemley returns to the airwaves with City Cafe airing Tuesday - Thursday at 1 p.m. on their digital only channel, GPB Classical, rather than over the air.
Georgia Biz - A new magazine launches under the hand if Editor in Chief Jennifer Bradley Franklin. Details in the Leff's Atlanta Media database and here. For now I'm told it's annual but might end up publishing more often.
Kaiser Health News - Sam Whitehead joins (from WABE) and does Renuka Rayasam (from Politico).
Creative Loafing - Check out their new website at creativeloafing.com.
Rough Draft - Chad Radford departs for job with Trees Atlanta.
Saporta Report - David Pendered departs. Destination not yet revealed! Details.
Vox Atlanta - Claire Dozier has been selected by the Board of Directors as the next Executive Director of VOX ATL
Walton Tribune - David Clemons departs. Chris Bridges is the new Managing Editor. They're looking for a sports writer to join them.
WABE Radio
Jess Mador joins a health reporter
Sam Whitehead departs to join Kaiser Health News
Emil Moffatt launches new tech podcast, Tech Cast. Link.
WAGA TV / Fox 5
Joi Dukes joins as a general assignment / MMJ. She was most recently with WRCB TV in Chattanooga and worked at WMGT TV in Macon.
Congrats to Portia Bruner on her art showing at Future Gallery!
Janice Yu has departed the station
WGCL TV / CBS46
Cutter Martin joins as meteorologist
Former reporter Jonathan Carlson is now with WWJ Radio in Detroit as morning drive anchor
WXIA TV
Michigan State University awards Aisha Howard an Outstanding Alumni Award
News from the PR Dept
Ashley Thompson, formerly with CBS46, is now a Public Relations Manager with Jackson Spalding PR.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has named Bryan Thomas as his Communications Director. Thomas was most recently Senior Director of External Relations for Habitat for Humanity International.
PRSA Georgia's Chapter Champion for April is Keri Tomsic. Details.
Denim Marketing's Carol Morgan was featured in the Atlanta Business Chronicle in an Executive Profile about how she turned a freelance operation into a full-blown agency. Details.
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