The Granite Beat

Laconia Daily Sun News Reporter Catherine Makes a Splash in Her First Year, Investigating the Laconia School District

Catherine McLaughlin has just wrapped up her first year as a full time reporter. She started at Laconia Daily Sun immediately after graduating from college. Her first year ended with an investigation into a raft of departures from the Laconia School District. Co-host Julie Hart was also in collaboration with Catherine in editing the story giving Granite Beat twice the inside look. 
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter. 

Following the Story: Micheal Kitch and The Past Thirty Years Following a Suite on Children’ Education

Reporters Julie Hart and Adam Drapcho talk with Michael Kitch. A historian and a writer, and for many years was the senior reporter for the Laconia Daily Sun, making the happenings of Laconia City Hall as transparent as possible for our readers. Lately, he's been writing for the New Hampshire Business Review, notably covering what might be one of the most important legal questions in the state's history. That question is, how much should the state be contributing to each child's public education?

Postcards from a changing world: Ann Hermes Chronicles Newsrooms in an Evolving Landscape

On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat we welcome Ann Hermes, who worked for the Christian Science Monitor for 12 years before becoming an independent photographer. Ann produces images that look like postcards from a rapidly changing world, providing images from the Arab Spring, NYC ‘dining sheds’, and one of the few remaining drive-in theaters. Most recently, she has been working on a meta-project to chronicle local newsrooms – those that remain at least – around the United States.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter.

Boston Globe’s Amanda Gokee Shines a Light on New Hampshire’s Stories: From Politics to Trans Healthcare

On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat we spoke with Amanda Gokee, a reporter with The Boston Globe. When The Globe decided to open a New Hampshire bureau, Amanda’s local credibility and experience at the New Hampshire Bulletin was exactly what they needed to shine a light on what’s happening in the Granite State for local, regional, and national audiences. In her new role she has written about everything from politics to health, education to climate, and breaking news to trans healthcare.
 The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter. 

Valley News Photojournalist Explores the Importance of Empathy in Photography

A good photographer is someone who operates their equipment with technical skill, but a great photographer is one who balances that skill with empathy for the scene and people they are photographing. On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat, we speak with Valley News photojournalist Alex Driehaus, who has a portfolio of projects rich with empathy. She has spent time photographing people recovering from addiction in Ohio, marginalized young adults in San Francisco, and most recently, a former Special Forces soldier from Afghanistan now living as a refugee in New Hampshire's Upper Valley
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter

Journalist Bill Donahue’s Unexpected Journey in Kenya: From Reporting on a Cycling Team to Predicting a Legendary Runner’s Defeat

Journalist and author Bill Donahue's trip to Kenya to report on a cycling team and a legendary runner took an unexpected, and it turns out prescient, turn.  The Granite Beat’s  Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart recently interviewed Donahue where they talked about finding the hidden stories and how to be humble as a journalist working in another country.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter. 
 

The Granite Beat: Sports journalist Joshua Spaulding on chronicling promising young athletes in New Hampshire

On this episode of The Granite Beat, Julie and Adam talk with sports journalist Joshua Spaulding. He’s worked 20 years as a sports editor for the Salmon Press, which publishes weekly newspapers throughout central and northern New Hampshire, and currently directs and produces sports coverage for 11 newspapers. Over the years he has chronicled the stories of promising young athletes, some of whom have risen to professional or even Olympic competition. If you played high school sports in the Lakes Region or Northern New Hampshire within the past two decades, it's almost guaranteed that Josh has published your name at least once.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter

Journalist behind Bear Brook true crime podcast talks about the importance of storytelling in journalism

On this week’s episode of The Granite Beat, Julie and Adam speak with Jason Moon, the journalist behind many intriguing long-form projects at NHPR, such as the Bear Brook true crime podcast that has been downloaded more than 17 million times.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter

Felice Belman Discusses Legacy Newspapers, Startups and Responsibility of the New York Times

On The Granite Beat podcast, Felice Belman, deputy Metro editor for The New York Times, Felice Belman, discusses the differences between legacy newspapers and newer startups, the unique responsibility and resources of a publication like The Times, and the subjective decision-making process for determining which stories to cover.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter.

The Granite Beat: Always Get The Dog’s Name

From legislative action to government accountability, veteran reporter Annmarie Timmins finds the humanity behind the headlines.
On this episode of The Granite Beat hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart speak with New Hampshire Bulletin senior reporter Annmarie Timmins. A native Granite Stater, Annmarie is a homegrown journalist who has taught at both UNH and at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and spent 25 years reporting for The Concord Monitor.
The Granite Beat, is a project of The Laconia Daily Sun in partnership with The Granite State News Collaborative, of which Laconia is a partner, and The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communications. Each week hosts Adam Drapcho and Julie Hart explore with local reporters how they got some of the most impactful stories in our state and why they matter.