“The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories.Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, discuss behind the scenes in covering stories for you — from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast.In this week's episode, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks to 21 News chief meteorologist Eric Wilhelm and meteorologist Andrew DiPaolo about weather reality vs. weather rhetoric.What do peo...

“The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories.Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, will discuss behind the scenes in covering stories for you - from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast.In this week's episode, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks to 21 News anchor/reporter Madison Tromler and reporter Kaitlyn McCarthy about when you are first to report a news story and what g...

“The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories. Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, will discuss behind the scenes in covering stories for you - from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast. In this week's episode, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell looks behind the scenes with 21 News Coordinating Producer Rachel Kerr and what a news producer does. Many of you may remember th...

“The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories.Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, will discuss behind the scenes in covering stories for you — from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast.In this week's episode, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks with 21 News Director Sheila Miller and Senior Digital Content Manager Robert McFerren about the editorial decision-making process ...

“The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories.Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, will discuss what goes on behind the scenes in covering stories for you - from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast.In this week's episode, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks with 21 Sports reporter Brittany Bissell and sports videographer Dan Pushcar about Friday night football and what goes...

Natural gas accidents happen more often than you think. Experts we sought out, including the NTSB, say the lack of state and federal safety regulations is to blame. Could it happen again? Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell and Watchdog reporter Madison Tromler discuss the backstories behind the investigation into the Realty building explosion and what needs to change to stop "The Danger Beneath Us."

Assistant news director Justin Mitchell sits down with reporter Kaitlyn McCarthy to talk about her path from working behind the scenes to holding the powerful accountable. McCarthy, a Valley native and YSU graduate, has only been reporting since April, but in that time has broken major developments on the Realty building explosion and exposed potential conflicts of interest at a major development organization. Turn in every Friday on our YouTube channel or listen to the audio version on all m...

In this week's Outcue podcast, 21 News Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell and Senior Digital Content Manager Robert McFerren discuss the story behind the story, looking at the fast-changing coverage of the Steward Health bankruptcy filings.Our coverage has been following the bankruptcy court case in Texas and reporting those looking to place bids for control of Trumbull Regional, Hillside Rehabilitation, and the satellite facilities.These stories we start working on in the morning may be...

In this week's Outcue, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell and Senior Digital Content Manager Robert discuss the story behind the story of 21 News coverage for months concerning the bankrupt Steward healthcare facilities in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.Trumbull Regional Medical Center and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, including satellite offices, all received mass layoff notifications this week, with the last date set for September 19 unless someone buys those facilities. Local i...

"The Outcue” is a 21 News journalist perspective on our top news stories, but with a different approach. It talks about the week's biggest story but gives you the perspective of the story behind the story.This week, assistant news director Justin Mitchell sits down at 5 pm anchor and reporter Lindsay McCoy to discuss how her experience as a reporter helps her in her role as anchor.The podcast name - The Outcue - is a broadcast term that means the last few words of reporting before the story e...

On this edition of the 21 News podcast, 'The Outcue,' Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks with Senior Digital Content Manager Robert McFerren about the drive and burn that makes journalists do what they do.This podcast explains what happens behind the scenes and the story behind the story.In this case, we requested all the emergency calls handled by Youngstown Police and Fire Dispatch Center on May 28, the day of the downtown Realty building explosion, after a natural gas line was c...

In today's Outcue, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell is joined by 21 News Director Sheila Miller and Senior Digital Content Manager Robert McFerren to discuss how we address news bias in coverage in today's political climate.The newsroom management team discusses how much discussion and thought goes into all newsroom reporting, including political coverage.This podcast discusses the frame of reference for covering all news -- including political stories -- and our rule as a watchdog ove...

In this week's The Outcue, Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell talks with anchor/reporter Madison Tromler, who speaks about the National Transportation Safety Board hearing this week in East Palestine, discussing what caused the February 3, 2023 train derailment and why the vent-and-burn was a botched decision.The discussion examines the key moments from the day's nearly 8-hour final report that are quickly processed and disseminated to our viewers and readers online and how a reporter's ...

The NTSB issued more than two dozen recommendations Tuesday in East Palestine concerning the toxic train derailment and vent and burn of the vinyl chloride that began nearly a year and a half ago. These recommendations found that the rail industry had no standards in place for overheating wheel bearings and detectors and that the chemicals' vent and burn were unnecessary.21 News anchor Lindsay McCoy sat down with Steven Ditmeyer, a retired executive of the Federal Railroad Administration who ...

In this week's The Outcue, senior digital content manager Robert McFerren talks about the heat wave that has stalled over the Valley with chief meteorologist Eric Wilhelm and meteorologist Andrew DiPaolo.While the scorching heat has not broken any records yet, the long-range forecast shows we are in for one long, hot, and possibly dry summer. The trend may last well into the fall and winter.Find out about previous dry trends in the Valley, how this Florida-like weather makes forecasting more ...

After a major breaking news story like the Realty Building explosion, there are often questions that remain.How did this happen? What are the lessons we can learn from this? And is everyone in charge providing the information the public has a right to know?In this episode of The Outcue, assistant news director Justin Mitchell sits down with Madison Tromler and Chris Cerenelli to talk about how the thought process has to shift from what's happening right now to the longer view of what the publ...

In this week's The Outcue, assistant news director Justin Mitchell, anchor Derek Steyer, and chief videographer Pat Connelly discuss covering breaking news in the aftermath of the explosion at the Realty Building from an apparent gas leak.They discuss how all news stories that everyone is currently working on for that day are paused, and everyone goes into all hands on deck to cover the immediate need to gather news as it happens.Hear our chief videographer's story of what he heard and saw as...

On this week's Outcue, assistant news director Justin Mitchell sits down with two veteran WFMJ videographers - Ron Martin and Bob 'Bubba' Meluch - who share their stories about their time in the field and talk about stories that will stick with them their entire life.Our videographers are those who are on the frontlines getting images for broadcast - some happy, uplifting, others from potentially dangerous scenes.The Outcue is the term for the last few words of a news story before it's over. ...

In this week's The Outcue, assistant news director Justin Mitchell, anchor Madison Tromler, and senior digital content manager Robert McFerren discuss stories we cover when someone calls us with concerns over a purchase they have made and are unhappy with the company.The Latin phrase "caveat emptor," which means "let the buyer beware," alludes to placing the burden of due diligence on the consumer when buying a good or service. However, consumers have rights and call newsrooms with their stor...

This week, after months of speculation, Steward Healthcare filed for bankruptcy. The move was not unexpected, but it leaves questions about what its impact will be on the future of healthcare in the Valley. Will hospitals remain open? Will nurses unions remain? Could another hospital system move in and take over? In this week's The Outcue, assistant news director Justin Mitchell and anchor Madison Tromler discuss what they've been hearing, who they've been talking to and what the s...

Gene Steratore is the NFL/NCAA Basketball rules analyst for CBS Sports. After a 15 year career on the field, Steratore is now in the broadcast booth. 21 Sports Dana Balash caught up with Steratore and talks about his days in the NFL, in the broadcast arena and more.

In today's 21 News Special Edition of The Outcue, 21 News Assistant News Director Justin Mitchell and anchor/reporter Sydney Canty discuss behind the scenes of this week's 21 News "101 West" on the complicated and often misunderstood perception of human trafficking and how it happens.The outcue is the term used in the news industry as the final words of a story, but this podcast gives you the opportunity to see the work that went into the story that isn't broadcast.Our '101 West' deep-dive in...

In today's 21 News The Outcue S01E09, we update you on the ongoing financial investigation, which started in March in Vienna Township. This small community has been impacted by missing township funds—$1.3 million—leading to layoffs in the emergency services, including police and fire, and township officials working for free. While the state auditor's office is investigating the missing funds, 21 News has also been investigating what is happening. However, this case is complicated. Tradi...

"The Outcue" is a 21 News journalist perspective of our top news stories.Each week, the 21 News staff, including reporters and managers, will discuss what goes on behind the scenes in covering stories for you - from the newsgathering process to getting the final product on the air, in this new video podcast.In this episode, Assistant News Director J. Breen Mitchell is joined by 21 News Chief Meteorologist Eric Wilhelm and weather forecaster Chris Cerenelli to discuss what goes on behind the s...