Join us on Thursday, January 11, 2024, for a LUNCH (12:00-1:30pm) meeting at The Transept (1205 Elm St, 45202), for a presentation by Duane Pohlman, Local 12 Investigative Reporter, “Journalism and Democracy:  The past, present and future”.

Duane Pohlman’s journalism career includes covering Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Middle East, America’s peace-keeping mission in Bosnia, and uncovering human rights violations and unfair labor practices in Central America.

Here at home, Pohlman’s investigations exposed political corruption, toxic environmental threats, the resurgence of white supremacy groups, the resale of murder weapons, thoroughbred horses sent to slaughterhouses, and a wide variety of threats and wrongdoings. His investigations have triggered civil lawsuits, criminal investigations and prosecutions, and new laws.

Pohlman’s award-winning and continuing investigation, “Fallout” revealed the connection between radioactive contamination and cancer in the communities surrounding the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), a cold-war era plant in southern Ohio that enriched uranium for America’s nuclear bombs. Pohlman also uncovered Russian shipments to PORTS that were contaminated with plutonium, one of the most toxic radioactive substances.   

Pohlman has been named Best Reporter/Journalist of the Year more than twenty times in five states.

In 2023, Pohlman was honored with the first Emil Dansker Award (for outstanding lifetime achievement in journalism) from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and he received the Gerald White Award, the Cincinnati SPJ chapter’s top award.   

In his nearly four-decade career, Pohlman has received more than 300 reporting/journalism awards, including dozens of Emmys, Edward R. Murrows, National Headliners, and Genesis awards, as well as numerous top prizes in regional and state competitions from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Associated Press (AP), Cleveland Press Club, Milwaukee Press Club, and Radio Television News Directors of the Carolinas.

Pohlman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from Bowling Green State University in 1987.

This meeting is sponsored by Rotarian Bonnie Rettig.

RSVPs are required to attend, whether you are eating lunch or not, so if you would like to attend, please click HERE by 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 5, 2024, or contact [email protected]. 

Meal choices:

Regular Entrée – Chicken Scallopini, roasted potatoes, & fall vegetable hash

Salad Entrée – Field green salad with grilled chicken, berries, walnuts, gorganzola & green apples

Vegetarian Entrée – Butternut squash ravioli with cream sauce, spinach & toasted almonds.