My Career & Résumé
I’ve worked in media since 2006, starting as a freelance sports and outdoors journalist only months after graduating high school. It was a launching pad for perpetual learning, growth and adaptation in a constantly evolving media landscape, and it has equipped me with a broad, valuable media skillset.
My journalism and media career has featured a little of everything, from newspapers, magazines and broadcast to online news, digital analytics and social media brand management. Later, I co-hosted & produced podcasts, and have expanded my repertoire to include live streaming, video production and editing.
More recently, I’ve begun appearing on-camera in various roles. I was featured in a nationally televised documentary, and have been an analyst and guest host on vodcasts. I am currently an audience-facing content creator for a true crime social media channel.
I’ve had the privilege to tell many impactful stories, meet unforgettable people, and repeatedly found myself in surreal situations — from the sidelines of SEC football games to the backroads of the South Carolina Lowcountry, in federal courtrooms and the living rooms of grieving mothers. I remain eager to tell my next great story.
What can a journalist do for you?
Reporters, producers and others on the “content” side of the news industry have diverse skillsets and employee traits useful in many career fields.
● Journalists must be adaptable and versatile — qualities necessary to survival as values in the news business have shifted away from specialists to prefer a “Jack-of-all-trades.” Constantly learning and applying new skills is survival in the news business.
● A journalist must be a fast learner with excellent reading comprehension and analytical skills. Our jobs and credibility depend on being able to quickly understand complex topics so we can be trusted to share accurate, useful information with the public.
● Every journalist must be an excellent communicator. The journalist’s superpower is to synthesize complex details into simple formats everyone can understand. To do that, we must be able to write and speak clearly, succinctly and compellingly.
● Organization, efficiency and multitasking are abilities inherent to any successful journalist. We keep calendars packed with meetings, Zoom calls and much more while also juggling today’s, tomorrow’s and next month’s assignments.
● Improvisation and problem-solving are marks of a good journalist. They’re directly tied to quick thinking, resourcefulness and preparedness. If you need someone who can overcome obstacles to “get it right” and “get it done” on deadline, hire a journalist.
● Being naturally inquisitive leads journalists to become thorough and competent researchers. We know where to look, who to ask and what tools to use to get answers we want. This helps us enrich our stories with valuable added context.
● With an eye for detail and commitment to accuracy, journalists excel at quality control. Even seemingly minor and cosmetic errors like spelling are anathema to a journalist. They damage both credibility and quality, so we’re vigilant against them.