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Denise Watson, Team Editor: WHRO Public Media (longtime feature writer/editor)

Author
Mark Simon
Published
Tue 25 Mar 2025
Episode Link
https://redcircle.com/shows/3321739a-247a-4730-a995-15faa82f68d4/episodes/785c7b36-34fe-4338-8629-1ce523ebd5a9

On this episode, we're joined by Denise Watson. Denise is an editor at WHRO Public Media in Norfolk, Virginia. For more than 30 years she was an award-winning writer and features and education editor for the Virginian-Pilot. She often writes about race and history.

Additionally, she is a journalist in residence at William & Mary, teaching a masterclass there. And she is a fellow at the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

Denise shared many lessons that she applied to her work, including what it means to "vacuum a scene," how to interview people about their past, and how to do research for a story about a prominent historical event, local or otherwise. She also shared what her classes are like at William & Mary and explained why history is so important to her.

Story Links

Story about a woman's search for her Japanese grandfather who never returned from an internment camp during World War II

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r14mRphohLD9AIClzEqy4niITfD-txL43i563D3OYIE/edit?usp=sharing

17 Students Break Through Color Barrier (50th anniversary in Norfolk)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IPT1xhekYGl2SqV5Dm9kSoceCeOjsobGFdBNCPQTtgU/edit?usp=sharing


Denise's salutes: The Maynard Institute, Maria Carrillo, Kris Worrell

Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to [email protected] 

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