Longtime native journalist Jim Nintzel, who labored as a reporter and editor on the Tucson Weekly for greater than three a long time earlier than stepping down final yr, is becoming a member of the Tucson Sentinel workers to function the Authorities & Political Impression reporter.
Starting in July, he’ll turn into the native impartial nonprofit newsroom’s designated watchdog over state and federal authorities points as they affect the residents of Southern Arizona. Nintzel may also be part of the remainder of the Sentinel workers in conserving our readers abreast of the newest geese, dips, dives and dodges of space political candidates and bureaucrats.
“I’ve lengthy admired what Editor and Writer Dylan Smith and the small-but-mighty crew have accomplished on the Sentinel during the last decade and I am thrilled to return to writing about Arizona politics,” mentioned Nintzel, who was additionally an everyday on Arizona Public Media’s “Reporters Roundtable.”
The Sentinel workers is raring to get to work alongside the revered scribe, with whom they have been competing for scoops not that way back.
“Nintzel’s an establishment on this city — his accounts of political shenanigans and authorities missteps are among the many journalism classics in Tucson,” mentioned Smith. “His reporting has helped so many individuals, together with me, know extra about this place we name dwelling. We really feel extra related when Jim explains how sure issues are put collectively, and we’re proud he will convey that skill to inform a narrative with deep context to the Sentinel’s newsroom.”
His beat will embody enterprise and development tales about discussions and selections in Phoenix and Washington, D.C., at all times via the lens of what it means to Tucson and Pima County.
“Among the finest observers of Tucson’s comings and goings is again,” mentioned senior reporter Paul Ingram. “Nintzel has a severe breadth of data about Southern Arizona, and the thin on native politics.”
“I’ve recognized Jim for 30 years, since we have been each younger punk reporters,” mentioned Blake Morlock, creator of the Sentinel’s “What the Satan will not inform you” and “Tucson Agenda” columns. “He is probably the greatest information guys round and an important author. I am glad he is again within the sport.”
Nintzel’s return will assist fill among the rising gaps in Tucson’s information ecosystem.
“We have seen too many cuts by chain-run information shops, and folks leaving journalism as a result of they only cannot bear to observe any extra of the slash-and-burn company techniques,” mentioned Sentinel Co-Writer Maria Coxon-Smith. “Bringing Jim Nintzel again to readers is an amazing alternative for the Sentinel’s rising newsroom, and an important outcome for our group.”
“We already had a nice crew of watchdogs, however Jim digging into the desert grime means much more folks had higher look out,” she mentioned.
Whereas company media in Tucson — managed by large out-of-state firms that always pull much more in earnings from our city than they spend on reporting on it — have stored up a years-long sample of slicing workers and dialing again on journalism, the Sentinel’s steadily increasing our work. As an alternative of slicing, we’re reinvesting in native information with the assistance of our small enterprise supporters and members of the Watchdog Membership.
“With all of the cuts to native journalism by rapacious company overlords, nonprofit newsrooms just like the Sentinel are extra very important than ever. It is the way forward for actual reporting for our group,” Nintzel mentioned.
The brand new Authorities & Political Impression reporter place is backed partly by the nonprofit Report for America, a challenge which helps reporters in newsrooms all through the nation. Since its launch in 2007, Report for America has positioned greater than 600 journalists in newsrooms nationwide, together with three on the Sentinel.
“Report for America is thrilled that Jim Nintzel is becoming a member of the workers of the Tucson Sentinel,” mentioned RFA Director of Corps Excellence Terri Hayt. “Together with his a long time of intensive reporting about Tucson’s politics and enterprise, Jim will have the ability to proceed to supply in-depth journalism that serves this group and Southern Arizona.”
Nintzel is simply considered one of two Arizona journalists tapped to turn into a Report for America corps member this yr. He joins this system’s choose cohort of skilled reporters, partly due to his demonstrated skill to assist work with the early-career journalists, interns and graduate fellows who spend time honing their craft on the Sentinel.
Hayt, who’s a former managing editor of the Arizona Day by day Star, famous that Nintzel “has served as a mentor to many younger journalists.”
“RFA is pleased to assist assist Jim, the Tucson Sentinel and the Tucson group,” she mentioned.
Underneath the RFA program, native readers and group members should additionally contribute a good portion of a corps member’s wage.
“There is a purpose we have seen such deep cuts in the entire for-profit newsrooms,” Nintzel mentioned. “Good journalism prices cash. The chains would fairly reap earnings. So for those who imagine within the significance of native reporting on the Tucson Metropolis Council, state lawmakers and members of Congress — or for those who’ve ever simply wished to purchase me a beer — please assist the Sentinel’s mission.”
Nintzel landed his first job within the journalism enterprise whereas he was nonetheless attending Alice Vail Junior Excessive, delivering the much-missed Tucson Citizen to his neighbors. He would learn the paper whereas folding his stack earlier than setting out on his bike for his route.
“I used to be hooked on newspapers at an early age,” he mentioned. “It was actually a dream come true to work not solely in journalism on this city, however alongside so lots of the reporters whose work I admired after I was only a pup.”
In his profession on the Weekly, Nintzel gained greater than 50 statewide and nationwide journalism awards for his protection of politics, authorities, science and different characteristic writing. He was named a journalist of the yr a number of instances by the Arizona Press Membership and Arizona Newspaper Affiliation.
Nintzel has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN and different nationwide networks, in addition to serving because the Friday host of AZPM’s “Arizona Illustrated.” After a shake-up at AZPM, he then hosted his personal “Zona Politics” interview program, broadcast on numerous channels. He has additionally been an adjunct journalism teacher on the College of Arizona, educating the core Reporting Public Affairs course for greater than 15 years.
“Whether or not you are a native Tucsonan like me, or a newcomer who has solely run throughout a narrative or two from Jim Nintzel, you perceive the deep dedication he has to this place and our folks,” mentioned Coxon-Smith. “Jim will get Tucson, and we’re all the higher for it.”
Nintzel joined the Weekly after graduating from the College of Arizona with a artistic writing diploma in 1989, beginning his profession operating errands for the promoting division. Inside a number of years, he was working as a reporter for the paper.
“I did a variety of totally different jobs on the Weekly, together with main the newsroom for the final 5 years I labored there,” Nintzel mentioned. “However nothing was as fascinating and enjoyable as overlaying Arizona politics. I am grateful to Dylan and Maria and the Sentinel workers and Report for America — and all of these of us who assist the Sentinel — for the chance to get again to work. I am wanting ahead to choosing up my pocket book once more.”
Final July, following one more sale to a out-of-town chain proprietor, Nintzel left the Weekly — a transfer that precipitated founder Doug Biggers, who bought the publication twenty years in the past, to say, “For all intents and functions, the Tucson Weekly has lastly misplaced its soul.”
“Since final yr, Jim demurred and mentioned ‘shucks’ and postpone once more and
once more any kind of ‘leaving journalism’ gathering,” Smith mentioned. “We by no means
received the chance to toast his many contributions to native reporting —
however now we will get collectively to have a good time his ‘Unretirement Celebration’
as an alternative.”
Search for particulars about that occasion quickly.
Nintzel spent the final yr telling folks he was lastly going to scrub out his storage. As an alternative, he spent a while touring together with his spouse, Jennifer, and their two daughters, Olivia and Izzy — together with a soggy roadtrip via California’s atmospheric river in January, two journeys to Disneyland and a number of excursions to Flagstaff, the place his spouse’s pioneer household nonetheless owns a cabin. Earlier this month, he took his first swim within the chilly Colorado River throughout a rafting expedition from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry.
“Arizona is such an attractive state however our politics can generally get a lot too ugly,” Nintzel mentioned. “I am wanting ahead to writing about how selections made by these in energy — in all places from Downtown Tucson to the ninth flooring on the state Capitol advanced to the halls of D.C.’s Capitol Hill — have an effect on our lives right here in Southern Arizona.”
“Individuals can generally assume that politics is summary — a sport for cable TV pundits and whomever comes up with these horrible commercials,” he mentioned. “However what it truly is, is concrete. How authorities selections get made have a severe affect on how we reside our lives. Does my child’s faculty have a roof that is strong, and sufficient books? Is my avenue filled with potholes? Is that bridge secure? What are my taxes paying for?”
“Politics is how the insiders determine what occurs. It is how we determine what our group priorities must be,” Nintzel mentioned. “And journalism is how we get the solutions, and have sufficient info to make actual selections about who and what to assist. What ought to my taxes pay for? Who’s going to spend that cash proper?”
“I am again with a pocket book and cellphone and keyboard, and able to assist discover out some solutions,” he mentioned.
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Being picked to host one more Report for America corps member is “an important honor for our
native nonprofit newsroom, and a humbling affirmation of the standard of journalism that your complete Sentinel workers is offering
our group ,” Smith. “It is also a testomony to the best way our readers and
group leaders have stepped as much as assist the Sentinel’s reporting.”
About Report for America
The privately organized Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Undertaking,
is a two-year program (with an possibility for 3) that delivers a
wide selection of advantages to its corps of journalists positioned in native
newsrooms. Past paying a portion of
the journalists’ salaries, it offers ongoing coaching and mentoring
by main journalists, peer networking, and memberships to pick
skilled organizations. To assist join corps members to their
communities, they’re required to undertake a service challenge, which
usually contains college students in journalism-related actions. Sentinel
reporters Bianca Morales and Bennito L. Kelty have been working with native high-school
college students as a part of their RFA service challenge.
The opposite publication within the state to be awarded a brand new RFA place this
yr was the Arizona Heart for Investigative Reporting. The Arizona Republic has additionally joined the Sentinel in internet hosting new corp members in earlier years.
“Past gifted reporters and photojournalists, we actively sought out people who see journalism as a calling, who wish to make a distinction inside their communities,” mentioned Earl Johnson, vice chairman of recruitment and alumni engagement at Report for America.
RFA’s program “promotes collaborative funding in native journalism, rising the possibilities of sustaining watchdog group reporting, for the group, by the group,” the group mentioned.
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gracias,
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Editor & Writer | Co-Writer
Tucson Sentinel