May 2, 2023
Ben Schmitt, Deputy Manager Editor of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in this episode of Flack Talk discusses:
- covering “the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history,”
- presidential elections in New Hampshire,
- his Emmy-winning story about a contract killer who enjoyed walking his poodle in his suburban neighborhood.
- how famed sports journalist and author Jemele Hill gave him essential advice about diversifying his newsroom at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and
- what it was like working on a Pulitzer Prize-winning team who covered Detroit’s former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Listener Notes: Mike Pride, retired editor of the Concord Monitor passed away after the podcast was taped. During this recording host James mentions the Chabad of Poway synagogue shooting as happening in 2018 at the time when this was recorded, but the shooting actually occurred in April of 2019 in San Diego County. Also, the trial mentioned for the synagogue shooting for Pittsburgh will have happened the week prior to this podcast air date.
About the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Documentary About Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
Vincent Smothers, the hitman with a poodle (Detroit Free Press Archive)
Details of the Pulitzer Prize project Ben Schmitt worked on in Detroit