Mitch's Media Musings

May 16 - June 15, 2022

Atlanta Press Club

Julia Boyd, a native Atlantan with more than 12 years of experience in nonprofit management, will become the Atlanta Press Club’s new executive director June 6. Boyd comes to APC from the Atlanta-based Professional Photographers of America (PPA), where she served as director of certification for the 30,000-member nonprofit. Details: https://atlantapressclub.org/apc-hires-executive-director-julia-boyd/.
As we approach the runoff elections on June 21, make sure to watch the recent debates with the candidates. You can see them all at https://tinyurl.com/2ckzhlx6.

Society of Professional Journalists/Georgia - SPJ GA had a great mixer on June 10, their first in-person event since the pandemic began. I counted 30+ folks eating, drinking, and networking. Look for their next event at https://spjgeorgia.com/.

4 Questions Journalist Spotlight - Check out our latest interviews with GBB's Josephine Bennett, Maija Ehlinger with Hypepotamus, and Ryan Dennis with Revolt Black News. 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.). We tape new segments every 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

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jozsef Papp joins the Crime & Public Safety reporting team.
Chris Quinn has retired from the paper. I can't tell you how many jobs and beats we've worked with him on over the last two decades: education, enterprise, community news, real estate, business. He's had trouble apparently staying in one position!
Congrats to Chris Joyner on the publication of his new book, "The Three Sentences of Clarence Henderson." The book is a 'true crime/history set in the turbulent post-World War II South."
Former AJC editor Ron Martin has died. He was 84. Martin was also "USA Today’s first executive editor and was among the editors involved in shaping the national newspaper when it first published in 1982.
Check out a new book by reporter Ernie Suggs’ “The Many Lives of Andrew Young” published last month. He’ll be in conversation with the former ambassador at the Atlanta History Center next month.
AJC gets funding to expand climate reporting. The paper writes "The Kendeda Fund and 1Earth Fund have committed $50,000 in a one-year grant to increase the AJC’s reporting on climate change and its effects on metro Atlanta residents, businesses and other institutions." Details: https://tinyurl.com/28xy4oru.
Former AJC reporter producer Courtney Kueppers is now a reporter/producer with WBEZ radio in Chicago.
Wendell Brock official retired.

Atlanta Voice - Bria Suggs departs. She's been awarded the Dean's Fellowship and will be working on a Masters degree at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Gannett - We've added Georgia reporter Abe Kenmore to our database.

HealthPlus - The folks who bring you The Atlanta Voice have launched HealthPlus, a new digital publication. According to their website, "HealthPlus is dedicated to closing the gaps in health awareness, prevention, treatment and care that contribute to health disparities impacting African American people." Give me a few days and I'll add some contact into the Leff's Atlanta Media database.

Nexstar - Atlanta bureau chief Archith Seshadri is featured this month on the cover of Khabar magazine! He talks with the magazine about dismantling LGBTQ stereotypes and "how success and popularity did not shield him from the turmoil of coming out in a conservative community." Read the story online at https://tinyurl.com/ycnn5upu.

Rolling Out - Rashad Richie to be inducted into National Black College Hall of Fame. Details: https://tinyurl.com/2azgr9ht.

Rough Draft - Rough Draft is launching a new art-focused weekly newsletter, called Sketchbook, tomorrow. Click here to subscribe: https://tinyurl.com/265uobe4.

Curated by Isadora Pennington, Sketchbook will highlight Atlanta's best visual artists as well as the galleries and museums that showcase their work.

WAGA TV/Fox5

Patty Pan departs after 17 years with the station. She says she'll be the new Community Affairs Liaison for the Cherokee Sheriffs office .

WGCL TV/ CBS46

Don Shipman joins the station. His last reporting job was in Boston, MA.
Sawyer Buccy joins as a general assignment reporter. Her last reporting job was in Tulsa, OK.
Haley Mason departs.
Zach Irwin departs and joins Court TV.

WSB TV

Congrats to Tyisha Fernandes on the birth of her baby boy!
The AJC's Rodney Ho reports that Candace McCowan will be joining the station in July, anchoring on the weekends and reporting during the week. Details: https://tinyurl.com/2bq7vumv. She's worked more recently at WABC TV in NYC, and also spent time at WFLA TV in Tampa/St. Pete, and WREG TV in Memphis.

WXIA TV / 11Alive

Andy Pierrotti departs. He's joining the investigative unit of Gray TV. Look for him on CBS46 and on Gray TV stations nationwide.
Former and longtime weatherman Johnny Beckman died this month. Details: https://tinyurl.com/2xqlwwpm.
Anchor Shiba Russell is departing the station. Next stop not yet revealed, but she says she'll be closer to family (which is usually a good thing!). Details from the AJC's Rodney Ho: https://tinyurl.com/242lkabq
Molly Oak has joined the station as a general assignment reporter. She was most recently at KVUE TV in Austin, TX, and worked before that at WECT TV in Wilmington, SC.

News from the PR Dept

Former 11Alive reporter Duffie Dixon is now Director of Marketing and Communications for the Gwinnett County Library System
If you're bald, worried about getting bald, are married to a bald man, or just looking for a fun book to read this summer, check out "Headscape" the new book from Chris Schroder! Chris talks about being bald and his journey to Istanbul to find new hair and a new perspective on his life. Check out this link to purchase: https://tinyurl.com/26k44fve.

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