Resume « Michelle Minkoff

Resume

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EDUCATION

Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
- Masters of Science in Journalism, March 2010
- Concentration: Subject-Depth Reporting in Health and Science, coursework in new media, statistics, computer-assisted reporting and programming (iPhone application development, data visualization)

Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
- Bachelor of Arts degree, May 2008
- Majors: English and American Literature; Minors: Journalism, Theater Arts, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies

SKILLS

Computer technologies: Extensive experience with SQL, SQLite, Access, Excel, HTML, CSS, XML, KML, SPSS, R, Python, Django, Flash, Processing, Javascript, Objective C, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, ArcView, Gimp.
Applications: Comfortable with MS Office, ENPS, iNews, Adobe PageMaker, InDesign, Premiere Elements, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, Soundslides, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, Quark Express.
Languages: Proficient in French, working knowledge of Hebrew and Spanish.

JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE

Public Broadcasting Service, Data Producer, News and Public Affairs, Arlington, VA, October 2010-present
- Developing databases, data applications and data visualizations that bring added depth and engagement to web pages built around topics in the news. Responsible for finding, analyzing and presenting these data sets and collaborating with both editorial and technical teams. Also collaborating to help bring data projects to the various stations and shows affiliated with the PBS network, and using their data, data available from other public media sources and publically-available data sets outside the public media system.

Los Angeles Times, Data/Programming Intern, Los Angeles, CA, April 2010-October 2010
- Collaborated with a team of data-based reporters, analysts and Web developers/programmers to create interactive data-driven applications across news. Projects ranged from creating a framework for collecting and displaying campaign contribution data in real-time for November 2010 propositions and elections to crafting an internal system for inputting, analyzing and publishing bestseller list data, to publishing Google spreadsheets as sortable tables to facilitate rapid pseudo-database development across the newsroom.

Medill News Service, Religion Beat Reporter, Washington, DC, September-December 2009
- Compiled and scrubbed data for computer-assisted reporting project, co-sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, Center for Responsive Politics and Medill News Service, that examined connections between health care lobbyists and lawmakers/ committees with stake in health care debate. Published in Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, cited by CNN and MSNBC.
- Produced story featuring Google Map mashup and dynamic graph powered by a database I cleaned, examining the health of Louisiana’s bodies of water.
- Designed and implemented project web site for “Elements of Faith,” a multimedia package for the Religion News Service reported by myself and four other students examining the intersection between religion and the environment.
- Spot and enterprise text and video stories picked up by Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, McClatchy and others, daily spot news and enterprise religion-related stories filed on deadline.

WTTW, Web Intern, Chicago, IL, June-September 2009
- Created content for and designed interactive site for “Facing the Mortgage Crisis” project, including curation of archived video to supplement a timeline of the foreclosure crisis.
- Managed and created workflow for show’s social media presence, tripled Twitter follower count in 10 weeks.
- Edited and posted web-exclusive text pieces, slideshows and extended video interviews with newsmakers.
- Tested and documented new video posting system for web site.

Medill News Service, Health Beat Reporter, Chicago, IL, Jauary-June 2009
- Reported and compiled long-form interactive package exploring how supercomputers modeled brain pathways to increase our understanding of how the brain communicates with our body
- Developed sources and reported spot and enterprise stories on beat, specializing in medical research innovations.
- Created interactive experience explaining how light sources could treat diseases, as spot coverage of American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.

New England Cable News, Newsroom Intern, Newton, MA, September–December 2007
Boston Phoenix, Editorial Online Intern, Boston, MA, June–August 2007
The Justice, Staff Writer, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, August 2004–November 2007
Pioneer Press Newspapers, Contributor/Editorial Intern, Arlington Heights, IL, June–August 2004 and 2003