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Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism are pleased to announce that Bram Sable-Smith has been named the fourth Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellow.

During the one-year fellowship, Sable-Smith will work collaboratively with WPR and Wisconsin Watch, the Center’s news outlet, to deepen his skills in investigative journalism, editing and on-air radio production.

“Investigative reporting skills are a tremendous resource in the reporter’s toolbox and I feel incredibly lucky for the opportunity to develop those skills by working with talented colleagues who share a spirit of collaboration, integrity and a publicly minded ethic,” Sable-Smith said.

Named for award-winning WPR Reporter Mike Simonson, who passed away unexpectedly in 2014, the fellowship is supported by private donors who value Simonson’s legacy of investigative reporting.

Before moving to Wisconsin, Sable-Smith spent five years reporting on health care at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and as a founding reporter of Side Effects Public Media, a reporting collaborative in the Midwest. He also taught radio journalism at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. 

Sable-Smith has contributed stories to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, American Public Media’s Marketplace and Kaiser Health News. His reporting has received two national Edward R. Murrow awards, two national Sigma Delta Chi awards, a health policy award from the Association of Health Care Journalists among others. He is a proficient Spanish speaker and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

“We feel very lucky to have Bram in our newsroom this year,” said Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin Watch’s managing editor. “We are looking forward to Bram using his extensive experience and highly developed skills to bring deeply reported, well-told stories on issues that are important to the people of Wisconsin.”

“This fellowship has been a win-win for WPR and Wisconsin Watch,” said Noah Ovshinksy, WPR’s news director. “Now in its fourth year, this partnership has produced high impact reporting on a wide range of topics from labor trafficking to government accountability. With Bram on board, we plan to build on this already impressive track record.”

About Wisconsin Public Radio: For more than 100 years, Wisconsin Public Radio has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community – WPR works for Wisconsin. Listen, learn more and donate online at wpr.org. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

About the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism: The Center (WisconsinWatch.org), an independent nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, is increasing the quality, quantity and understanding of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future generations of investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

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Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism name Bram Sable-Smith as Simonson Investigative Reporting Fellow

by Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
October 29, 2019

<h1>Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism name Bram Sable-Smith as Simonson Investigative Reporting Fellow</h1> <p class="byline">by Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch <br />October 29, 2019</p> <br /> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bram_sable-smith-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-838518" /><figcaption>Wisconsin Public Radio Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellow Bram Sable-Smith interviews Bishop Donald Hying in his office at the Diocese of Madison in Madison, Wis., on Oct. 23.</figcaption></figure> <p>Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism are pleased to announce that Bram Sable-Smith has been named the fourth Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellow.</p> <p>During the one-year fellowship, Sable-Smith will work collaboratively with WPR and Wisconsin Watch, the Center’s news outlet, to deepen his skills in investigative journalism, editing and on-air radio production.</p> <p>“Investigative reporting skills are a tremendous resource in the reporter's toolbox and I feel incredibly lucky for the opportunity to develop those skills by working with talented colleagues who share a spirit of collaboration, integrity and a publicly minded ethic,” Sable-Smith said.</p> <p>Named for award-winning WPR Reporter Mike Simonson, who passed away unexpectedly in 2014, the fellowship is supported by private donors who value Simonson’s legacy of investigative reporting.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright is-resized"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bram_sable-smith2_1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-826775" width="252" height="378" /><figcaption> <p class="wp-media-credit">Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch</p> <p>Bram Sable-Smith is the new Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellow.</figcaption></figure> </div> <p>Before moving to Wisconsin, Sable-Smith spent five years reporting on health care at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and as a founding reporter of Side Effects Public Media, a reporting collaborative in the Midwest. He also taught radio journalism at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sable-Smith has contributed stories to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, American Public Media’s Marketplace and Kaiser Health News. His reporting has received two national Edward R. Murrow awards, two national Sigma Delta Chi awards, a health policy award from the Association of Health Care Journalists among others. He is a proficient Spanish speaker and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.</p> <p>“We feel very lucky to have Bram in our newsroom this year,” said Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin Watch’s managing editor. “We are looking forward to Bram using his extensive experience and highly developed skills to bring deeply reported, well-told stories on issues that are important to the people of Wisconsin.”</p> <p>“This fellowship has been a win-win for WPR and Wisconsin Watch,” said Noah Ovshinksy, WPR’s news director. “Now in its fourth year, this partnership has produced high impact reporting on a wide range of topics from labor trafficking to government accountability. With Bram on board, we plan to build on this already impressive track record.”</p> <p><strong>About Wisconsin Public Radio:</strong> For more than 100 years, <a href="http://wpr.org/">Wisconsin Public Radio</a> has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community – WPR works for Wisconsin. Listen, learn more and donate online at <a href="http://wpr.org/">wpr.org</a>. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Madison.</p> </p> <p><strong>About the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism:</strong> The Center (<a href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/">WisconsinWatch.org</a>), an independent nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, is increasing the quality, quantity and understanding of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future generations of investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.</p> <p><em>The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (<a href="www.WisconsinWatch.org">www.WisconsinWatch.org</a>) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.</em></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2019/10/wisconsin-public-radio-and-wisconsin-center-for-investigative-journalism-name-bram-sable-smith-as-simonson-investigative-reporting-fellow/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org">Wisconsin Watch</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-WCIJ_IconOnly_FullColor_RGB-1.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=838491&ga=UA-17896820-1" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

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