Former journalists share insights on their transition from the newsroom to their current jobs in nonprofit communications. Panelists: Johnathon Briggs (AIDS Foundation of Chicago) Christopher Boyce (Instituto del Progreso Latino) Hanke Gratteau (Ounce of Prevention Fund), Fuzz Hogan (Advance IL) Moderator: Tracy English (English Communications Inc.)

Hanke Gratteau, a former award-winning journalist, joined the Ounce of Prevention Fund as vice president of public affairs in January 2010. Ms. Gratteau has over three decades’ experience reporting on matters of public interest. She left the Chicago Tribune in 2008, after a long and productive career that saw her rise from an assistant to columnist Mike Royko to managing editor for news, a masthead position at the Midwest’s most influential newspaper.

She most recently served as executive director of the John Howard Association of Illinois, a sentencing and corrections reform advocacy group.At the Tribune, Ms. Gratteau oversaw and directed a wide range of operations and served in a variety of positions, including investigative reporter, columnist, and metropolitan editor before her appointment as managing editor for news.

She received wide recognition during her journalism career. Ms. Gratteau directed the reporting efforts for “Gateway to Gridlock,” an examination of national air traffic congestion that won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism.

Other awards and honors include the 1993 William H. Jones Award for Investigative Reporting; the Golden Bell Award of the Mental Health Association of Illinois for her coverage of mental health issues; and a 2005 honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, the University of Illinois. Before joining the Chicago Tribune in 1984, Ms. Gratteau was a reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Daily News.

In January, 2009, Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn appointed Ms. Gratteau to the Illinois Reform Commission, a panel of citizens charged with recommending changes to Illinois laws in the aftermath of the arrest of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Her work for that commission resulted in a successful collaboration with state officials to re-write Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act to increase government transparency.

Christian “Fuzz” Hogan is the Director of Communications for Advance Illinois. Advance Illinois is an independent, objective voice for student—focused reform of public education. He has held this position since January 2009.

Before that, Fuzz was CNN Midwest bureau chief, responsible for coordinating coverage from the network’s bureaus in Chicago and Dallas, as well as coverage in the 14-state region. Previously, Hogan served as the director of coverage for CNN/U.S., responsible for the oversight of the network’s national desk and newsgathering. Before that, he served as an executive producer for CNN’s National Bureau in Atlanta, managing the work of the network’s Investigative Unit and coverage of the southeastern region of the United States. He was also co-Executive Producer of the network’s “Terror on Tape” series, which won a Peabody award.

Hogan joined CNN in 1987 when he started with HLN as an entry-level videojournalist. After becoming a writer and producer, he left for a year to attend graduate school, which ended with his earning a Gannett Urban Journalism Fellowship. He returned in 1991 as a staff writer and has since served as a producer for CNN International and CNN&TIME, the network’s former primary news magazine program. His work included coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial and the Oklahoma City bombing.

In 1999, Hogan became an executive producer on CNN’s “Row,” editing, vetting and producing scripts from correspondents from the network’s domestic and international bureaus. Hogan is on the board of the Chicago Headline Club and the DePaul College of Communications Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also past president and board member of the Atlanta Press Club and a volunteer for VOX, a teen newspaper published by Youth Communications and written and edited by teenagers. Hogan holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. 

Making Media Connections is an annual conference where hundreds of community leaders, nonprofit executives, journalists, independent publishers and media relations experts gather to promote news that matters. Listen in as media experts and the general public gather together to discuss getting communities’ important stories told.

Recorded Thursday, June 10, 2010 at Film Row Cinema.