Here’s hoping you had a great Thanksgiving! This week’s TBN ticker brings you a smashing mix of moves and news meant to add abundance to last week’s holiday. We start off by congratulating Sally Goldenberg, who has taken on the role of senior New York editor at Politico. Former Boston Globe journalist Mark Pothier has launched a new nonprofit outlet The Plymouth Independent. Congratulations are also due to Jamil Smith who has been named editor-in-chief of The Emancipator.
Goldenberg becomes senior NY editor at Politico… Politico has tapped Sally Goldenberg to serve as senior New York editor to oversee Politico’s entire New York state editorial team. Politico reports, “In this new role, Sally will lead our staff in New York City and Albany, with New York Editor Joe Spector reporting to her. Together, they’ll focus us on driving the conversation in both cities and on several statewide policy and political beats.” Since October 2018, Goldenberg held the post of City Hall bureau chief. She joined Politico in October 2013 as a senior reporter. Previously, she spent more than five years as a City Hall reporter at The New York Post. Goldenberg has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-New Brunswick. Be sure to congratulate Goldenberg on X/Twitter.
Boston Globe’s Pothier debuts Plymouth nonprofit… Mark Pothier, a veteran Boston Globe journalist, who worked at the newsroom for more than 22 years, has debuted a new nonprofit news organization The Plymouth Independent. “I began my career as a journalist in Plymouth in the 1980s, serving as executive editor of the Old Colony Memorial and a group of other weekly papers for 15 years, under the MPG Newspapers umbrella,” he wrote. “Thanks to a dedicated group of concerned residents who formed our board of directors, a team of fundraisers, and the crucial advisory presence of former Boston Globe Spotlight editor Walter Robinson, the Independent was established earlier this year with a goal of bringing locally grown journalism back to town by the end of 2023. We’ve reached that first milestone. With your financial support, the site can swiftly grow from these modest roots, serving as a source of vital information, as well as an online community gathering place. And it’s all free. We encourage your feedback and participation. (You can email me at mark@plymouthindependent.org.)”
Emancipator names Smith EIC… Jamil Smith has joined The Emancipator, housed within the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, as its editor-in-chief. In his new role, Smith will helm The Emancipator’s editorial vision. “This is a singular opportunity. I’ve been an admirer of what The Emancipator has accomplished thus far, and it’s an honor to join the University and this staff, Smith said. “I look forward to continuing to help audiences think more critically about the emergency that is racial inequity.” An award-winning journalist, he recently was an essayist at the Los Angeles Times, where he reported and wrote long-form commentary, opinion and news analysis articles. Prior to that, he worked as a senior correspondent at Vox.com and as a senior writer at Rolling Stone, where he covered politics, identity and popular culture. He freelanced, served as a senior national correspondent for MTV News and was a senior editor at The New Republic. Smith graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Be sure to congratulate Smith on X/Twitter.
Vox hires Keating as correspondent… Vox has hired Joshua Keating as a senior correspondent to cover “global trends, and the ideas and dynamics that have shaped them.” He will be based in Washington, D.C., and will begin on Dec. 4. Keating will join from The Messenger, where he is a global security reporter, a post he previously held at Grid. He also served as a senior editor at Slate Magazine and as an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Keating has a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in Ohio. Be sure to congratulate Keating on X/Twitter.
Ford takes on acting features director at Elle… Elle UK has appointed Lucy Hunter Ford to the post of acting features director. Recently, she served as a features director at The Telegraph. Previously, Ford held the posts of features editor, executive editor, podcast producer and columnist at the Evening Standard. She also worked as an associate editor at The Independent. Ford graduated from the University of Cambridge. Be sure to congratulate Ford on X/Twitter.
BBC taps Ponniah to serve as head of digital news for North America …Kevin Ponniah, senior news editor for Digital Live at BBC News, has been appointed head of digital news for North America. He will oversee all US and Canada digital news reporting across BBC platforms. Ponniah will be based in Washington, D.C., and work with teams in London and globally. He joined the broadcaster in September 2015 as a digital journalist. He then served as a senior journalist and news editor. He also served as a producer for long-form radio and podcast at BBC World Service. At AFP, he freelanced and was a journalist. Ponniah has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne and an MSc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Be sure to congratulate Ponniah on X/Twitter.
Wollner named deputy pol editor at NBC News… Adam Wollner will join NBC News’ digital team as deputy politics editor to cover the 2024 political campaign, and to organize coverage of down-ballot races. He will begin on Dec. 4. Wollner will join from The Messenger, where he has been a White House editor covering President Joe Biden’s White House and the re-election campaign. At CNN, he served as editor of The Point, a multiplatform analysis section covering news from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. He also held the posts of politics and special projects correspondent, politics editor and deputy editor at McClatchy. At the National Journal, he wrote newsletters on campaigns and elections, and the presidential race. He also served as a political correspondent and congressional correspondent. Wollner has a B.A. in journalism and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Be sure to congratulate Wollner on X/Twitter.
Arkansas TV station appoints Fletcher online content reporter… Lydia Fletcher will join KNWA-TV Ch. 51, an NBC-affiliate in Rogers, Ark., as an online content reporter. “You won’t see me on TV, but I’ll be writing the articles further explaining what’s happening in Northwest Arkansas and The River Valley,” Fletcher wrote on X/Twitter. Previously, Fletcher interned at Tulsa World Media Company, part of Lee Enterprises. She also served in the roles of radio show host and station manager at KXUA-FM 88.3, University of Arkansas’ student radio station. Fletcher has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Arkansas. Be sure to congratulate Fletcher on X/Twitter.
Oklahoma paper’s sports reporter Walker departs… Jon Walker, a sports reporter at the Stillwater News Press in Oklahoma, has left. “There are way, way too many people to thank for everything during my time in Stilly,” he wrote on X/Twitter. “I’m excited to share what’s next real soon. But let’s figure out who’s going to Arlington first, yeah?” Prior to joining the Oklahoma paper, Walker was a sports reporter at the News-Press and Gazette Company in Missouri. Walker graduated from Northwest Missouri State University. Reach out to Walker via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.
ABC’s Las Vegas station hires Sebelius to cover the 2024 elections… Steve Sebelius will join ABC station KTNV-TV Ch. 13 in Las Vegas to cover the 2024 elections. “I will be joining the staff of KTNV Channel 13 here in Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to joining this great group of talented journalists and helping to cover the 2024 elections. I hope you’ll all tune in!,” he wrote on X/Twitter. Sebelius will begin on Jan. 2. He has covered politics and government for nearly 30 years, recently serving as a politics and government editor at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Previously, he worked at the Review-Journal from December 1999 to April 2005 as a political columnist, and then from February 2011 to July 2017 in the same post. He also wrote for the Las Vegas Sun. Be sure to congratulate Sebelius on X/Twitter.
Jenkins becomes anchor/reporter at CW affiliate in Indianapolis… WISH-TV Ch. 8, a CW-affiliate in Indianapolis, Ind., has hired Jeremy Jenkins as an anchor and reporter. Since September 2018, Jenkins has been at Hearst, where he served as a reporter and then weekend evening anchor for NBC station WGAL-TV Ch. 8 in Lancaster, Pa. Previously, he worked as a reporter for two ABC/Fox affiliates in Montana: KTMF-TV Ch. 23 in Missoula and KWYB-TV Ch. 18 in Butte. He also interned at Sinclair’s KATV-TV Ch. 7, an ABC affiliate in Little Rock, Ark. An Emmy-nominated anchor and reporter, Jenkins has a B.A. in mass communication/media studies from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Be sure to congratulate Jenkins on X/Twitter.
Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate reporter Zilka departs for family bakery biz… Ashley Zilka, a reporter at ABC station WTAE-TV Ch. 4 in Pittsburgh. “As a journalist, I have spent the past 14 years working at different stations across the country,” she wrote. “From Cincinnati to Minneapolis, every city will hold a special place in my heart, but ending my news career in my hometown, specifically at WTAE, has been the biggest blessing.” Zilka’s departure follows her decision to join her family business, Zilka and Co. The fourth-generation bakery supply company was founded by her great-grandfather in 1923. Previously, she reported for ABC outlet KSTP-TV Ch. 5 in Saint Paul and WCPO-TV Ch. 9, an ABC affiliate in Cincinnati. She also served as a news anchor and reporter at WROC-TV Ch. 8, a CBS affiliate in Rochester, and a morning news anchor at WHIZ-TV Ch. 18, an NBC-, Fox- and MyNetworkTV-affiliate in Zanesville, Ohio. Zilka has a B.A. in broadcast journalism from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Reach out to Zilka via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.
Atlanta TV station hires Fowler as director of content… Carol Fowler will join Atlanta NBC station WXIA-TV Ch. 11 as director of content. She will begin on Dec. 11. In her new role, Fowler will oversee the TV station’s daily operations and help develop its audience growth strategy. “It’s an honor to join 11Alive in this leadership role,” she said. “Our goal is to create and support a newsroom environment that brings out the very best in every journalist, all with a clear understanding of our purpose as a news organization. Reporting stories that are top of mind and highly relevant to the lives of our diverse Atlanta audience will be at the core.” Recently, she served as director of content at KSDK-TV Ch. 5, an NBC affiliate in St. Louis. She also worked at The Poynter Institute, served as senior VP for digital news products at the Chicago Sun-Times and was VP/news director at Fox Television Stations and WBBM-TV Ch. 2, Chicago’s CBS outlet. She also worked at WGN-TV Ch. 9 in Chicago for eight years. Fowler has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Be sure to congratulate Fowler on X/Twitter.
Abdullahi joins Marshall Project as engagement reporter… Aala Abdullahi has joined The Marshall Project as an engagement reporter. “I’m beyond thrilled to bring my expertise in engagement reporting practices to The Marshall Project, a newsroom that has a track record of championing and producing community-driven journalism,” Abdullahi said. “I’m excited to work with talented and empathetic colleagues to find unique ways to reach new audiences who would benefit from ambitious journalism on the criminal justice system.” Recently, she worked as an innovation editor at The Sahan Journal in Minnesota, where she led The Citizen Lab Project, which explores the news needs of Minnesota’s Latino, Somali and Hmong communities. In addition, she has also worked at AJ Contrast, Al Jazeera’s immersive media studio. Her work has also been recognized by the Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Local Journalism Awards, Shorty Awards, and the News & Documentary Emmys. Abdullahi graduated from New York University.
Mustafa swaps Metro.co.uk for Refinery29… Tanyel Mustafa has joined Refinery29 as a senior life writer. “So excited to be joining the team – you can now reach me here: tanyel.mustafa@vice.com,” she wrote on X/Twitter. Recently, Mustafa was at Metro.co.uk, where she held the posts of lifestyle writer and lifestyle reporter. She also wrote for Condé Nast and held the posts of writer and SEO reporter at News UK. She also interned at Marie Claire and Hearst UK. Mustafa has a B.A. in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. Be sure to congratulate Mustafa on X/Twitter.
Ali becomes news and culture critic at the LA Times… The Los Angeles Times has appointed Lorraine Ali to news and culture critic on the Fast Break Desk. Recently, she held the post of television critic. Ali joined the Times in November 2011 as a music editor. He then served as a senior writer. Previously, she worked for 10 years at Newsweek where she served as a senior writer and critic. She also held a senior critic post at Rolling Stone and previously worked at the Los Angeles Times from 1995 to 2000 as a columnist. Be sure to congratulate Ali on X/Twitter.
Global’s Stojsic set to depart… Leslie Stojsic, managing editor of “The New Reality” current affairs program at Global in British Columbia, is set to depart at the end of the year. Previously, Stojsic served as executive producer of “Global National,” an early evening national newscast at Global. Before this, she worked at CBC News for more than 13 years. From 1999 to 2001, she worked as a production assistant at Global. Stojsic graduated from McGill University in Canada. Reach out to Stojsic via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.
Bowen takes on a new role at Sky News… Sky News has tapped Alys Bowen to serve as an events producer. In her new role, she will cover major events in the UK and globally. Recently, Bowen held the post of planning producer. She joined Sky News in January 2018 as an interview producer. She also worked as a social media coordinator and journalist at Women’s Sport Trust in the UK. She also held the posts of multimedia producer and assistant news editor at Sky Sports, where she previously interned. Bowen has a bachelor’s degree from King’s College London and a master’s degree in sports journalism from St. Mary’s University, Twickenham in London. You can congratulate Bowen on X/Twitter.
Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
