Ben Meyerson’s

Resume

 

Editing and reporting

Chicago Tribune • Content Editor, Audience • Chicago • February 2019-present

  1. •Manage main social accounts and edit homepage for one of the nation’s leading news publications

  2. •Work with reporters and editors across departments to create digital plans for key stories

  3. •Write audience-focused explainers across all areas of the Tribune’s coverage, from an explainer on the richest man in Illinois to an op-ed on the benefits of electric scooters

RedEye Chicago • Digital Editor • Chicago • January 2018-January 2019

  1. •Interim digital leader for the Chicago Tribune’s culture and lifestyle publication focused on millennials and Generation Z

  2. •Ran social accounts posting dozens of times per day, including Twitter account with more than 400,000 followers

  3. •Led team’s digital story creation and editing process, key to the several hundred thousand pageviews RedEye’s website collected each month

Chicago Tribune • Blue Sky Innovation News Editor • Chicago • March 2016-January 2019

  1. •Front-line editor for section covering technology, business and innovation

  2. •Work with as many as three reporters and six freelancers on digital-first product

  3. •Run social media, program web homepage, curate wire coverage of national tech news, coordinate print design

Sun-Times Media/Chicago Tribune Media Group • Pioneer Press News Editor • Chicago • Jan. 2013-March 2016

  1. •Led four to six digital and print publications covering Chicago suburbs

  2. •Supervised as many as four full-time union reporters and eight freelancers

  3. •Guided team through workplace challenges including office closure, death of a colleague and rounds of layoffs

  4. •Trained reporters on best practices for Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and SEO

  5. •Contributed reporting to Chicago Sun-Times on tech, music and beer

Chicago Journal, Chicago, IL • Editor • Jan. 2011 - Dec. 2012

  1. •Ran two weekly newspapers and their websites covering neighborhoods in and around downtown Chicago

  2. •Managed a rotating stable of freelance reporters, columnists and bloggers

  3. •Wrote feature stories, briefs and editorials

  4. •Assigned photos, supervised design

  5. •Marketed content and engaged via social media

Wednesday Journal, Oak Park, IL • Staff Reporter • May 2010-Dec. 2010

  1. •Covered village politics, crime, parks and miscellany for weekly paper

  2. •Represented news department as chief liaison during creation of new website and platform, OakPark.com

Chicago Headline Club • Executive board member • 2013-present

  1. •Leader of largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

  2. •President, 2017-present; Vice President of Membership, 2016-2017; Vice President of Programming, 2014-2016

  3. •Resolutions committee member at national SPJ conventions 2015-2017, shaping policy of the largest journalism professional organization in the world

SPJ Training Program in partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project • Trainer • March 2018-present

  1. •Train journalists through partnership between the Society of Professional Journalists and Facebook

  2. •Lead presentations focusing on reporting tools and techniques using Facebook and Instagram, as well as best practices for storytelling and cybersecurity on the platforms

  3. •Travel to conferences around country to train both students and professionals

Journalism leadership

© Ben Meyerson 2019

Awards and education

Chicago Headline Club Peter Lisagor Award finalist • 2011

  1. •Nominated for feature writing, in-depth reporting for reporting with Chicago Journal

Illinois Press Association Eva and Harold White Trophy • 2010

  1. •Member of Wednesday Journal team honored as best nondaily newspaper in Illinois

University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, College Park, MD.

  1. •B.A. in journalism received May 2009.

  2. •Coursework in computer assisted reporting, political reporting, statistical analysis

Still interesting

Apple Store • Specialist • Chicago • Nov. 2009-May 2010

  1. •As a front-line representative at Apple’s North Michigan Avenue store, performed technical troubleshooting and provided advice

  2. •Sold and activated new Macs, iPhones, iPods and iPads

WMUC-FM • Disc jockey • College Park, Md. • Oct. 2005-May 2009

  1. •Hosted weekly two-hour radio show on college radio station, playing music and wittily bantering