If it’s time for a career move, here’s one. Email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser ([link removed]) .
[link removed]
[link removed]

Of all the journalists who get a raw deal from Hollywood, I think broadcast journalists might have the most legitimate complaints. They’re often portrayed as dumb (“Broadcast News,”) unscrupulous (“Scream,”) or dumb and unscrupulous (“Ron Burgundy.”)
So there are a lot of reasons — including those portrayals and long-standing print-industry perceptions about broadcast journalism — that mean print reporters might not consider broadcast news as an option for a big career move.
But maybe they should.
The Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative, now in its second cohort, is one path from newspapers and digital journalism into TV. Below, I spoke with former newspaperman and Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Iovino, who now leads the program, and Craig Harris, who made the leap from The Coronado (California) News to ABC 10News in San Diego. You can learn more about the program ([link removed]) at a webinar today at 2 p.m. Eastern.
(And if you’re feeling nostalgic about journalism and Hollywood, check out my colleague Tom Jones’ past work on our favorite fictional journalists ([link removed]) .)

Kristen Hare: Tell us about this program.
Jim Iovino: It’s no secret that the media industry is in a state of flux. Scripps is trying to reimagine the structure of a newsroom in multiple ways, including by thinking differently about the folks traditionally hired at TV stations.
First and foremost, we value quality journalism done by skilled reporters. A lot of those reporters currently work at print publications that are, as we know, on shaky ground. We don’t want to see this talent exit the industry entirely for a PR or communications job. We want their skills in our newsrooms.
These journalists know how to dig for stories and they have great sources within their communities. What they don’t know, in many cases, is how to tell those stories visually.
That’s where a program like ours comes into play.
The Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative provides experienced print and digital journalists the opportunity to transition their careers to video-driven storytelling with our local and national newsrooms across the country. We give them full-time jobs and the tools and training they need to report for broadcast, OTT, digital and social. They can then do the same great reporting they’ve always done, but can now reach new audiences on multiple platforms, and their work can oftentimes have an even greater impact than when their stories were in print or behind a paywall.
And I should mention that we’re not just hiring print reporters exclusively for the JJI program. We are adding print reporters to our newsrooms throughout the year as part of our effort to get more reporters in more communities wherever we have stations.
Hare: How did the first cohort go?
Iovino: Our first cohort, which began in January 2023, proved what we thought possible — that their skills would not only translate to new platforms, but would also elevate the quality of journalism across our newsrooms.
Anne Ryman, for instance, was a longtime award-winning investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic. In the past year she put on a clinic in holding the powerful accountable ([link removed]) , cutting through government red tape ([link removed]) , uncovering health care hazards ([link removed]) and even tracking down stolen art ([link removed]) wanted by the FBI. Bryan Horwath transitioned from business reporter at a Las Vegas paper to leading KTNV’s coverage of the Oakland A’s potential move to Vegas
([link removed]) and what it means to locals ([link removed]) , among other stories. They are just two examples of the impact our first cohort has had.
Our second cohort, which started this past January, has blown away our expectations. We more than doubled the size of the 2024 cohort thanks to original funding from Google to launch the program and an additional Scripps investment, and this group is creating some outstanding work already. They’re not even a full five months on the job yet and they’re producing daily stories like this ([link removed]) , this ([link removed]) and this ([link removed]) , as well as long-form investigations like this ([link removed]) and this
([link removed]) .
Hare: Who is this good for?
Iovino: We’re looking for folks who have great journalism skills, strong ties to their communities and are willing to try something new. They have to be comfortable with being, well, uncomfortable as they learn new techniques, break old print habits and form new ones. This is a hard transition, no question about it (even though some of our cohort members have made it look easy). But we’ve learned a lot since the program began and are able to help them through this transition with group training and individualized coaching and mentorship.
Hare: Speaking of who this is good for, here’s a question for someone who’s been through this program, Craig Harris. Craig, tell us about your journey to ABC 10News.
Craig Harris: Last fall I was editor/associate publisher of The Coronado News, a start-up newspaper owned by Paul Huntsman (who also was chairman of The Salt Lake Tribune at the time). I loved running The Coronado News, and it was a dream come true as I was running my own paper and we did great investigative work and outstanding community journalism. Paul also was an amazing owner to work for, as he continued to underwrite our operations as he’s a strong believer in investigative journalism. So, when I was contacted by Scripps last fall, I wasn’t too interested.
But, they kept talking to me about it, and I talked to my good friend Anne Ryman, who was one of my I-team partners at The Arizona Republic. She had made the transition a year earlier to ABC15 in Phoenix. She really loves her new job at ABC15 in Phoenix, and she said I should check it out. So, I kept talking with the folks at Scripps and I was offered a job as an investigative reporter at ABC10 in San Diego. While I loved running The Coronado News, I wanted to get back to being an investigative reporter. So, I made the switch.
Hare: What made you decide to make the move to broadcast?
Harris: Well, my great looks, of course. Ha! For a guy with a face for newspapers or radio, I was leery about making the move at a spritely 56 years old. But, I was assured by Scripps that I would receive plenty of coaching, and they have kept their word. Being honest, it’s fun to be on TV. And, I’m also able to do long-form investigative reporting for our website — and there is no paywall. So, my stories are getting out to more people.
As a person who is 10 years or so from retirement, I determined that TV journalism has a better opportunity for long-term sustainability than print. Take a look at the most recent Pulitzer Prizes. The winners were big-time legacy papers like the well-funded The Washington Post or The New York Times or independent online publications that have found funding sources. I’m going off on a tangent here, but it truly breaks my heart that metro newspapers are struggling. Here in San Diego, I love The Union-Tribune, and I think they are doing an amazing job despite having 40% of their staff being let go because of Alden’s takeover. And, while I will always love my 27 years at Gannett (along with the very generous severance package to leave at the end of 2022), I’m not sure how sustainable that company will be because of its incredible debt.
I think the financials are stronger at Scripps, and the majority shareholders are family members and not a hedge fund. So, I have a bit more confidence that the folks running Scripps, despite its debt, will be able to navigate things better, still make money for shareholders and do outstanding journalism.
Hare: Any advice for people considering making the switch?
Harris: I’d do it! It’s a very different kind of journalism, but it’s rewarding and fun. For some folks in the Scripps program, it has been a challenge because of learning how to use a camera and do video editing. (I’m blessed with not having to do that). That is VERY, VERY hard work and it’s like learning a foreign language. Most of my colleagues in the program seem to really like it.
We also have a pretty close-knit group. We text each other even though we live across the country, and we share tips on how to be successful. We also have each other’s backs, which is awesome.
Also, don’t worry about being “TV ready.” I talked to a woman this week who was considering checking out the program, and she said she was old and grey. Well, I’m bald and old and I have bags under my eyes! Scripps is looking for “real people” who are outstanding journalists looking to expand their careers. If anyone wants to talk to me about it, feel free to send me a note at [email protected].


Thanks to both Craig and Jim for making the time to talk about this program. Again, you can learn more about it today in an informational webinar at 2 p.m. ET. Details are here. ([link removed])

That’s it for me! Sunday was Mother’s Day and my birthday and it ended with my mom, husband and two teens all watching “The Princess Bride” with me for the millionth time, so it was perfect. Well, for me it was perfect. They might be tired of me whispering every single line but 🤷‍♀️, they knew what they were in for with me.
Kristen Hare
Faculty
The Poynter Institute
@kristenhare ([link removed])

ADVERTISE ([link removed]) // DONATE ([link removed]) // LEARN ([link removed]) // JOBS ([link removed])
Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here. ([link removed])
[link removed] [link removed] [link removed] [link removed] mailto:[email protected]?subject=Feedback%20for%20Poynter
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
© All rights reserved Poynter Institute 2024
801 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
If you don't want to receive email updates from Poynter, we understand.
You can change your subscription preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe from all Poynter emails ([link removed]) .