Education
Carleton University
September 2013 – June 2017
- Bachelor of Combined Honours in Journalism and Women’s and Gender Studies, minor in political science
Journalism Experience
CBC News Network: Power & Politics with Vassy Kapelos: Producer assigned to Power Panel
May 2019 – Present
- Areas of interest: provincial and municipal issues, climate, health care, Indigenous issues, child care
- Collaborating with other team members to create the best political coverage possible
- Pitching at least two segment ideas per day, finding fresh angles on that day’s most talked-about political topics
- Booking guests and coordinating contact details, including booking cameras
- Researching background information and organizing it into clear, succinct notes for the host
- Developing question lines with the host, ensuring accuracy and balance
- Writing scripts and designing production elements (clips, graphics) to introduce stories in engaging ways
- Pushing content to the Power & Politics social media accounts
- Writing up online stories based on news that was made on the show
- Writing the introduction, editing and uploading the Power & Politics podcast using Dalet
- Maintaining a social media presence to share news, mainly Twitter
- Using the Access to Information and Privacy regime to uncover interesting news stories
- Developing and maintaining source networks through networking coffees
- Developing institutional or background knowledge by consuming political books and podcasts
- Producing on the ground of live events, coordinating guests to cameras and ensuring host is well supported
- Special projects:
- Produced a series of reporterless profiles on new MPs after the 2019 election
- Produced a one-hour special holiday 2020 show based on the COVID-19 pandemic
- Produced a young partisans panel to talk about youth issues during the 2019 and 2021 elections
- Produced an interview with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in June 2021
- Produced a regional reporter panel during the 2021 election
- With rest of the team, produced a one-week remote show in Poland in March 2022
- Produced nearly all of the show’s coverage of the 2022 Conservative leadership race, including exclusive interviews with Jean Charest and pollster David Coletto ahead of the official leadership debates
- Secondment with CBC Iqaluit in order to develop skills and better understand Nunavut’s political landscape
- Occasional shifts with CBC Ottawa in order to continue to build my writing and reporting skills
- Field produced a remote show in Calgary from start to finish to cover UCP leadership announcement
The Hill Times: News Reporter, Columnist
September 2017 – May 2019
- Beats included: the public service, Parliament Hill media, and Parliamentary receptions, among others
- Maintaining a network of sources in the public service and political communities to find exclusive stories
- Using the Access to Information and Privacy regime to uncover interesting news stories
- Working with lawyers when required to ensure stories are accurate and balanced
- Pitching four story ideas per week, finding fresh angles that will not be scooped by daily publications
- Researching, contacting, and interviewing sources to ensure accuracy and balance, attending networking events
- Writing two to four 1,200+ word stories weekly using CP style; including the Civil Circles and Party Central columns, and filing them on deadline for the respective Monday and Wednesday issues
- Writing the occasional daily story if time and news value warranted it, occasionally writing a daily and then following with a longer piece for the newspaper
- Organizing op-eds and interviews for the health policy briefings, wrote stories for all policy briefings for one year
- Incorporating feedback from editors into future stories
- Maintaining a social media presence to share news, mainly Twitter
The Telegraph-Journal/Greater Saint John: General Assignment Reporter, Editorial Intern
May 2017 – August 2017
- Updating website with early morning web hits, writing news briefs, and writing breaking news
- Pitching story ideas, putting in calls to sources to dig up news and break stories
- Writing hard news and feature stories following CP style; working long hours on weekdays and weekends
- Conducting research and finding sources, developing networks and rapport through interviews
- Working on a tight daily deadline to write, edit and submit stories
- Illustrating stories with photography or multimedia, including graphics and video
- Understanding story analytics and using social media to boost viewership
The North Bay Nugget: General Assignment Reporter, Editorial Intern
Summers of 2014, 2015 (May through August each summer)
- Developing and pitching story ideas, working with a team to ensure community coverage
- Writing hard news and feature stories for all sections of the newspaper following CP style
- Finding and interviewing sources, using active listening to ensure accuracy and balance
- Working within a tight daily deadline to write, edit and submit stories, as well as posting stories online
- Illustrating stories with appropriate photography or multimedia
- Updating social media accounts with news stories and moderating comments
Extracurricular Involvement/Volunteering in University
Merge Robotics, FIRST Team 2706: Awards Mentor
December 2015 – September 2017
- Helping students create marketing strategies, edit videos, write documents, and develop speaking points
- Guiding students on a robotics team, including many with disabilities
- Organizing students so they can meet timelines, learn to set and meet goals, and compete effectively
FIRST Robotics North Bay District Event: Ambassador
March 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 , 2019
- Answering questions about robotics for politicians, influencers, and business professionals
- Making FIRST Robotics accessible to everyone through excellent oral communication
- Running social media for the competition in 2019, including mini contests
Individual Awards and Certificates
- Canadian Screen Award: Power & Politics is awarded Best Talk Program or Series, 2021
- McDonald’s Employee Scholarship, June 2013
- FIRST Dean’s List Finalist Award, April 2013
Given to the top 126 students globally that participate in high school FIRST Robotics for their technical knowledge, leadership skills, and commitment to FIRST Robotics.
- McDonald’s Spatula Award, August 201McDonald’s Employee of the Month, December 2010