PROFILE
I am a fact-checker who knows how to research any given topic and am a grammar enthusiast. I am computer savvy and can create and manage websites through a CMS, and be a social media expert on a wide variety of network platforms. My talent and passion motivate me as a writer and an editor to make me work harder in my career.
EXPERIENCE
ZDNet: January 2022-Present Writing news stories and features, as well as commerce articles like best lists and deals posts. Updating stories as needed to better optimize based on Google recommendations.
Lifewire: October 2020-December 2021 Pitched and wrote follow-up articles on the latest tech news to give a more in-depth look into industry trends and what it means for our readers. Sought out and interviewed experts to speak on specific topics for professional insight.
The Drive September 2020-December 2021 Freelance Editor. Editing and fact-checking automotive-related reviews for style, grammar, and formatting.
Digital Trends: June 2019-September 2020 Freelance Reporter for Digital Trends. Reported on the tech industry including breaking news, industry trends, and how tech influences our lives. Quickly turned around stories with clean copy.
Hoodline: May 2019-June 2020 Remote Content Editor at Hoodline responsible for editing data wire news stories for over 70 U.S. cities. Covered travel, real estate, new business openings, events, and more.
L2Tmedia: February 2017-May 2019 Senior Content Editor responsible for editing and managing a team of 30+ freelance writers’ work, which includes online blog posts and onsite pages for a variety of dealership clients. Scheduling topics and monthly deadlines. Interviewing prospective writers and involved in writer training process. Project management of freelancer training website and creating and executing quarterly webinars.
Hyde Park Herald: July 2015-February 2017 Senior Reporter writing weekly and daily stories about news, events and features in the Hyde Park/Kenwood area. Covered breaking news stories as they happen. Reported for education and political beats. Was in charge of weekly and monthly calendar that holds events for the newspaper. Aided in social media posts to Facebook and Twitter pages. Covered President Obama’s farewell address in Chicago as a member of the press.
ChatterBlast Media: May 2015-May 2018 Freelance Writer for The Idea Forge. Pitching unique story ideas and writing about Chicago’s innovative landscape. Photographing events and conducting in-depth interviews with professional sources. Reached over 11,000 online readers with a story about the Chicago River Walk.
Chicago Tribune Media Group: November 2014-July 2015 Writing weekly features on news and events for The Daily Southtown. Contracted as a freelance reporter and photographer. Chosen to write the annual Holiday Lights feature, which was a two-page spread.
PUBLICATIONS
- Live for Live Music
- Beatselector Magazine
- Orland Park Prairie
- Lockport Legend
- Grunge
- UMBC News
EDUCATION
Southern Illinois University: Bachelor of Science in Journalism, 2014
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
• Google Analytics
• Blogging
• Research
• Photography
• Website Creation
• SEO Writing
Allison Murray 