Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist William K. Marimow will be joining ASU in the fall to lead News21, the multi-university investigative reporting initiative headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School.
“From everything I’ve seen, the Cronkite School is a great place to learn the traditions of excellent journalism and the important innovations of the multimedia world,” Marimow said.
Marimow will join the faculty of the Cronkite School as professor of practice and executive editor of News21.
Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan called Marimow “one of the great investigative journalists of our time,” adding, “He is so perfect for the News21 position. He’ll have the opportunity to work with a group of extraordinary young journalists from Cronkite and other great journalism schools from around the country.
“It will be an extraordinary experience for these students, giving them the best of in-depth, accountability journalism combined with innovative digital-media storytelling,” Callahan said.
Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of the Washington Post and current Cronkite professor, said he is looking forward to working with Marimow on News21.
“I have long admired Bill as a reporter and editor, including our geographic rivalry when he was editor of the Baltimore Sun,” Downie said in an email. He will be a great addition to Cronkite’s remarkable faculty. He is an inspirational leader who will motivate student journalists.”
Marimow said he is excited about the energy and enthusiasm of students eager to learn about the traditions of journalism.
“Everyone needs to learn to generate terrific content,” he said, also advising students to be “nimble and versatile,” and able to shoot video, appear on TV or radio, blog, and write excellent stories.
Marimow said he looks forward to teaching students how to work on getting the other side of the story, stressing that having all sides covered can be as important as having the story itself.
“It’s a great challenge, but I think surmounting that challenge will be satisfying,” Marimow said.
Marimow has been a top editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, National Public Radio and the Baltimore Sun and been recognized nationally for his career in accountability journalism.
He and a partner wrote stories about how Philadelphia police homicide detectives beat statements out of suspects and witnesses, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1978.
Marimow won another Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1985 by writing about the Philadelphia police dogs that mauled and attacked innocent and unarmed citizens.
Marimow’s other awards include the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Scripps Howard Public Service Award, the Society of Professional Journalists Public Service Award and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award.
News21 is a program that operates out of 12 universities and is designed to give student journalists experience with in-depth reporting under the guidance of veteran reporters.
The new version of News21 will be modeled after the successful multi-university investigative project on transportation safety in America conducted at ASU last year, led by Downie and Cronkite Associate Dean Kristin Gilger. That project, conducted in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity and distributed by MSNBC.com and The Washington Post, received the largest distribution of university-produced journalism content in history.
A similar project this summer, focusing on food safety, is led by Downie and Sharon Rosenhause, the former managing editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Contact the reporter at kristin.fankhauser@asu.edu
