Producing, Reporting & Programming Experience:
Washington, D.C.
Anchor Producer
Sept. 2022 - now
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Produce for CNN anchor Jim Acosta (Boris Sanchez from Sept. 2022 to April 2023)
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Work with CNN Special Events team to produce breaking news on-site at 2024 DNC; first 2024 presidential debate; U.S. Supreme Court; Capitol Hill; shooting of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tenn.; etc.
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Take lead in writing and producing 400+ interviews with presidential candidates and members of Congress
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Work with political, digital, national and international teams to write, alert and promote news from anchor’s interviews
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Pitch, shoot, produce and edit packages and interviews to air on digital and linear
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Provide new updates and information to anchor during live interviews
Writer/Producer
Nov. 2021 - Sept. 2022
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Wrote and produced segments for CNN weekend shows, including “Smerconish”, “New Day Weekend” and “CNN Newsroom”
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Pitched unique angles on political stories that distinguished shows from competition
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Created, maintained and strengthened ties between showteams and digital by promoting key moments from shows that resonated with online audiences
Washington, D.C.
Breaking News Producer
Aug. 2019 - Nov. 2021
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Wrote 200+ breaking news stories on topics ranging from the White House to Congress to presidential election
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Produced stories and photos on-location for breaking political news, including George Floyd protests, the death of RBG & the 2020 election
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Wrote newsletters that analyzed and explained results of 2020 primary elections
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Wrote punchy breaking news and Apple News push alerts
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Posted content to Twitter and Facebook social media accounts, using engaging sharelines to increase engagement
Atlanta
Digital Associate Producer — Video Programming
Aug. 2019 - Nov. 2021
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Managed and strategically placed video content on CNN’s homepage, mobile app, digital stories and video playlists to engage viewers and ensure the newest, best content was instantly available
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Continuously wrote and A/B tested SEO-friendly headlines for videos to determine types of content that resonated with audiences
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Regularly worked with showteams and senior producers to form strategic plans for major special events (James Comey testimony, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, etc.)
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Collaborated with homepage and mobile editors to find best combination of video and text articles to tell multimedia stories
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Copy edit videos for accurate grammar, spelling, and editorial standards
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Monitor CNN programming to identify key, shareable moments that perform well with audiences
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Pitch, edit, and package original videos with politics focus
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Helped ensure CNN.com video is in sync with the editorial and content direction of CNN and network wide initiatives
Writer — News Desk
Aug. 2018 - Aug. 2019
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Worked with D.C. and Atlanta news desks to help with coverage of political stories for 2018 midterm elections and special events
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Wrote material for and collaborated with writers, editors and tech. teams on stories, including a 2019 Civil Rights Road Trip interactive
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Alerted relevant parties of new developments to ensure they were a part of current or future coverage
Freelance Associate Producer — CNNgo
Feb. 2017 - Oct. 2017
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Worked 650+ hours in control rooms, with show producers, to push live TV to all platforms via CNNgo
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Worked with writers and on-air reporters to produce videos for their stories
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Managed CNN live streams and identified new streams to optimize viewer and content experiences
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Ensured all CNN.com stories have appropriate video, playlists, and/or galleries to enhance reader experience
Producing Intern — "Wolf"
June 2016 - Aug. 2016
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Helped write segments and teases for Wolf Blitzer’s 1 p.m. show, “Wolf,” using iNews
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Searched for, edited, and added video to show rundown using MediaSource/MIRA & Adobe Premiere Pro
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Conducted extensive research on stories and pitched unique angles to show’s producers
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Consistently mined social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, etc.) for posts related to breaking news and upcoming coverage
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Shadowed CNN Digital web producers and writers to hone digital news writing skills and learn optimum SEO practices and CMS and analytics software (Chartbeat & Google Analytics)
Multimedia Political Reporting Intern
Dec. 2015 - May. 2016
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Wrote print and digital political stories and briefs on the 2016 primaries and state politics for the N&O’s “Under the Dome” service
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Shot and edited, using Canon DSLRs and Final Cut Pro editing software, six videos that aided in coverage of state politics
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Assisted editors and reporters in researching and editing stories and interviewing sources
Multimedia Reporter
Aug. 2015 - May. 2016
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Wrote and produced 15 original, in-depth multimedia (print & video) stories focused on state & regional issues for the UNC School of Media & Journalism's invitation-only class for distinguished students
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Worked and communicated with state media outlets to craft stories pertinent to their audiences
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Successfully marketed these stories to WRAL-TV, the News & Observer, & the Charlotte Observer
Freelance News Photographer
March 2010 - Aug. 2015
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Covered former President Barack Obama at 20 White House press events; the 2012 DNC Convention; Superstorm Sandy damage on Long Island, NY; New Years Eve in Times Square; and political protests in the southeastern U.S.
Multimedia Reporter
Aug. 2014 - May. 2015
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Wrote 15 articles on new legislation and governmental affairs as a reporter on the General Assembly beat
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Provided visual storytelling skills for over 40 stories documenting campus, community, sports & political news
Political Campaign Experience:
Videographer & Social Media Editor
Aug. 2008 - March 2010
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Assisted in developing and producing political commercials for seven N.C. House, N.C. Gubernatorial, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate candidates
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Oversaw social media operations for three candidates and helped produce online video and photo content for their campaigns
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Engaged in election strategy with candidates directly to effectively target youth vote
Press Intern
March 2008 - June 2008
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Assisted in the organization and implementation of 5 rallies, 7 GOTV drives, and 10 phone-banking events
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Photographed over 15 North Carolina primary events and rallies featuring campaign surrogates and the Clinton family (Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea)
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Wrote 18 blog posts for HillaryClinton.com to document campaign events and volunteer efforts
Skills:
Software & Equipment
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Proficient in iNews, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Lightroom, etc.) and Final Cut Pro video editing software
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Master proficiency with Canon DSLR cameras and lenses
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Working knowledge of AVID, ENPS, Audacity, Chartbeat, WordPress, and FTP clients
Digital Communication & Audience Engagement
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Strong news judgment and an eye for programming
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Passion for delving deep into analytics
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Excellent command of AP style (print & broadcast)
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Employing optimum SEO practices
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Keen ability to identify content that performs well with audiences
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Developing content strategy plans
Political Communication
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Profound passion for political process, elections, and tracking policy trends
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Extremely knowledgeable on public policy, legislation, and regulatory issues
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Eight years experience working on and/or covering political campaigns
Contributing to the workplace
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Collaborative team member
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Bringing different, unique teams together to work jointly on new initiatives and streamline workflows
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Training and continuously helping new hires and junior team members
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Regularly innovating to ensure newsroom is at the forefront of emerging technologies
Education:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stembler Scholar at School of Media & Journalism
B.A. Broadcast Journalism, Graduated: May 2016