✈️ Digital Intern at The Virginian-Pilot and The Daily Press
Newsletter Relaunch
I led the effort to revamp The Virginian-Pilot and The Daily Press's daily newsletters, using past analytics and market research to redesign the format and strategy. I served as the anchor of these products, writing original daily copy for both newsletters to add voice, context and depth to the top stories. Examples here, here, here and here.
Social Creation
I created original social content and distributed stories for both The Virginian-Pilot and The Daily Press across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Twitter - I managed both publications' Twitter accounts, posting tweets according to our strategic schedules and prioritizing the most urgent content for our readers. I also wrote Twitter threads about breaking news, in-depth investigations and local politics.
- Facebook - I also managed both publications' Facebook accounts, posting according to our schedules and tailoring our content to our Facebook audience.
- Instagram - I worked with the newsroom's Instagram point person to create graphics and social text for both publications' Instagram accounts, breaking stories down into content that waas digestible and captivating on the platform.
Digital Editing and Web Packaging
- Blake Bailey was an ODU star. Faculty and students say he abused and harassed women for years. I led the digital editing for this story, charged with taking a long and quite intense story and optimizing its search potential and reader experience. I worked with the writer to workshop effective subheaders and embed appropriate visual elements for the narrative to complement the investigation.
- Nearly a dozen children were shot in July in Norfolk. Communities are hurting, and activists want change. I also led the digital editing on this story, which had quite a tight deadline. I compiled the gallery for the lead image, embedded other pictures in a way that helped the story flow and making sure the data visualization added to the reader experience.
- After years away, ‘Roller Dude’ is back, bringing joy to Chesapeake — and himself. I wrote the headline for this story, changing it from a reporter-written headline: "Chesapeake’s ‘Roller Dude’ is back at his busy intersection, after an absence of years." I tweaked this headline to capture the driving elements of the narrative; namely, that the man's son had died, and he was using his roller skating as a coping mechanism. This story was one of our top stories of the week.