Objective

To do whatever job necessary to make good journalism thrive – and still get paid for it.

Highlights

  • Experience managing complex teams of both in-office and remote employees.
  • Executive level strategy planning, coordination, budget management
  • Extensive work with social media tools and strategy
  • Experience in all aspects of digital news production, delivery, workflow and strategy
  • Project and product management experience – including news product development
  • Experienced trainer on social, digital and mobile tools and strategy, design thinking

Employment History

Factal, Head of Product, August 2021 to current. I am leading the product team at Factal, a breaking news technology company that helps the world’s largest organizations protect people, avoid disruptions and expedite disaster relief when global events put them at immediate risk.

Freelance trainer, editor and consultant, January 2011 to current. Using my extensive experience in digital journalism, audience development, business models, social media, and newsroom management, I offer assistance to news organizations, journalism associations, and other businesses on a consulting or contract basis.

  • Newsroom editing, coaching and project management: This may include setting up a new newsroom, conducting social and digital media audits, establishing or changing workflows, building new products and product operations, audience research, editing and coaching reporters, hiring, project management, newsroom innovation, production, and more. Recent clients include the New York Times, Salt Lake Tribune and Newspack.
  • Training: In the U.S., I have conducted training for the Online News Association, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society for Features Editors, APME’s Newstrain, International Center for Journalists, Gatehouse Media, the Kiplinger Program, News Leaders Association, as well as many non-journalism professional organizations.
  • Training (international): I have also given training sessions in social media management, social media verification, disinformation, and digital media to journalists and non-profits in Russia, Egypt, Latvia, Poland, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, and India.

The Compass Experiment, General Manager, June 2019 to March 2021. I led a local news laboratory founded by McClatchy and Google to explore new sustainable business models for local news. We were originally tasked with launching three digital-only news operations in small to mid-sized U.S.communities that have limited sources of local, independent journalism. As part of this role, I led the creation and launch of successful local news sites Mahoning Matters in Youngstown, Ohio and The Longmont Leader in Longmont, Colorado. The latter is now owned and operated by Village Media. 

Online News Association Board of Directors, President, January 2018-December 2020; Vice-President 2016-2018; Secretary 2014-2016. As a volunteer officer for this growing non-profit organization, my job was to support the ONA staff and give oversight to ONA’s programs, budget and future growth strategy.

John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship, 2019 Class, September 2018-June 2019. I used my time as a JSK fellow to broaden my skills in business strategy, management and product innovation at Stanford University.  I also completed a grant-funded research project focusing on the disconnection between news consumers and mainstream news outlets, with a focus on disinformation, read more about this at projectdisconnect.org

Storyful, Editor in Chief/Head of News/Director of News, January 2015 to June 2018. I headed up Storyful’s editorial efforts in the area of news and video, including managing a staff of more than 50 journalists spread across six time zones and four continents. I worked closely with newsroom clients and platform partners such as YouTube and Facebook on daily news delivery and special projects. I also collaborated regularly with Business Development and Product in helping to grow the business.

Storyful, Open Newsroom Editor, July 2014 to December 2014. As Open Newsroom editor for Storyful – a 24/7 social news agency that finds, verifies and distributes breaking news information and community-generated content – my job is to manage and develop new products around Storyful’s public-facing news distribution and verification networks with partners like Google, Facebook and YouTube.

Digital First Media, Managing Editor, Jan. 2014- July 2014. Management of staff and workflow of Project Thunderdome’s national news, features, sports and social media teams. This includes editing and planning daily and enterprise project workflow; establishing newsroom strategy; coordinating with sales and ventures funding staff at Digital First Media; maintaining media partnerships; working with product developers on internal products and whatever else they throw my way.

Digital First Media, Interactives Director, Aug. 2012 to Jan. 2014. Managed the nine-person national social media, data and video teams for Project Thunderdome, the national media and innovation hub working in conjunction with the 75 daily newspapers of Digital First Media. I worked on digital projects across our properties, coordinated content and product partnerships and dabbled in product development as it related to my team’s projects.

Digital First Media, Digital Projects Editor, February 2012 to August 2012. Led national curation efforts, conducted social media/engagement training and coordinated wide-scope engagement projects across DFM’s network of local newsrooms. Worked with outside vendors and internal technology resources on product development, specifically on the DFM Social Media Wire, on which I led the build, training and launch for more than 100 local news sites.

Adjunct Faculty Member, Georgetown University, May 2011 to present. Co-teaching Social Media for Reporters (Summer 2011, Summer 2013) and Entrepreneurial Journalism (Fall 2011, Spring 2013).

Huffington Post Politics, Social News Editor, April 2011-Feb. 2012. In addition to running HuffPost Politics’ branded social accounts, I was responsible for working with reporters and editors in the D.C. bureau to bring social elements into everyday stories, news projects and live news events. I also had a role in training staff on social media tools, developing new products and running the day-to-day operations of OfftheBus, our citizen journalism program.

TBD, Social Media Editor, May 2010-March 2011. I had a lead role in the initial build, launch and branding of local news startup TBD. I acted as “the voice” and “the ears” of TBD on most social media tools and online communities. Working with TBD/WJLA staff, I edited, packaged and syndicated content on online/social media platforms. Also developed social media strategy, planned online/mobile products, experimented with new storytelling tools/formats, trained staff on social media and had a daily role in the breaking news operation. TBD’s social approach to news was cited in its 2011 Edward R. Murrow award for best Online Local News Website.

Cincinnati Enquirer/Cincinnati.Com, Digital Content Editor/Social Media & Projects, April 2009-May 2010. Acting as the content “traffic cop” for Cincinnati.Com, I managed across the Enquirer’s many newsrooms to package, present and syndicate content across online/social media platforms, using analytics and SEO to grow audience for our network of sites. I developed social media strategies and worked on new digital products with Gannett corporate development teams. Also had a lead role in developing a local blog network, creating niche hyperlocal sites and converting staff blogs to WordPress.

Cincinnati Enquirer, Social Media Editor, January 2008 to April 2009. I was a key player in our site’s redesign in early 2008, particularly in the implementation of new social networking tools. I ran the Enquirer’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc.), managed our online comments and taught the newsroom how to use social media and multimedia tools effectively. In addition to this role, I was responsible for planning and executing online coverage for the 2008 elections, requiring extensive collaboration across departments.

Cincinnati Enquirer, Online Special Projects Editor, April 2007 to January 2008. Brainstormed, planned and coordinated online features, standalones and special sections with newsroom editors and editorial teams. Also responsible for planning 2007 local election coverage and presentation on Cincinnati.Com.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (online), News Producer, August 2004 to April 2007. Produced and placed daily news on deadline for JSOnline, started and voiced the paper’s daily news podcast and managed online election coverage. I also did a few video and audio projects and wrote a popular blog – Seen and Heard.

WKSU-FM, News Fellow, Jan. 2001-June 2004. During the time spent earning my graduate degree, I worked here doing off-mic reporting and sound recording for daily radio news programs, writing copy, research and studio production at this locally operated National Public Radio affiliate. Won a 2003 Ohio SPJ Radio Feature award for “Green Bean Casserole”.

Fusion magazine, editor-in-chief, Sep. 2003 to May 2004. Co-created this 8,000-circ magazine for sexual minority issues, where I served as editor-in-chief of print and online. I obtained the publication’s start-up funding, edited the first two issues, built the website and managed a staff of 18 for this continuing twice-yearly magazine. the magazine continues to publish in print and online.

Cincinnati Enquirer, Arts & Entertainment reporting intern, May 2003 to September 2003. My first taste of newspaper reporting included deadline reporting, researching and writing trend stories, reviewing concerts, writing pop culture columns and four weekend magazine cover features.

Education

M.A. in Journalism – Media Management (degree focus in cybermedia), Kent State University, May 2004.

B.S. in News (magazine concentration), Kent State University, May 2002.

Graduated summa cum laude with an additional minor in creative writing.

Digital and Traditional News Skills

In the newsroom: Reporting, micro and macro editing, story planning, cross-staff collaboration and staff training.

More: Digital product innovation/development, online community management/moderation, project management, analytics analysis, recording/producing on-air quality audio, podcasting, still and video photography.

Proficient in most commonly-used social media tools, many content management systems, mapping tools, basic web design tools and analytics solutions.

Awards and Recognitions

  • 2019 fellow in the John S. Knight journalism fellowships at Stanford University. One of 17 journalists from around the world selected for this prestigious fellowship for working journalists.
  • 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News (The Denver Post): Contributed to live social media curation as part of the earliest incarnation of Thunderdome, assisting the team at The Denver Post on breaking coverage of the Aurora, Co. movie theater shooting in July 2012.
  • Fast Track Alumni Award, Friends of Kent State Journalism and Mass Communication.
  • Keynote Speaker, 2010 Online News Association Conference
  • Spring 2009 fellow for the Knight Digital Media Technology Tools Workshop at the University of California – Berkeley.
  • Awarded the Walton D. Clarke Graduate Fellowship at Kent State University, which included two years working in the newsroom at NPR affiliate WKSU-FM.
  • Placed in the 2001 Hearst Contest for Feature Writing for “Harry Potter Goes to College“
  • Received (as editor-in-chief) Best Student Magazine award for The Burr and Fusion magazines from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2002 and 2004 (respectively).
  • Received first place for website editing and design for The Burr and Fusion magazines from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2003 and 2004 (respectively).