greetings!
I'm what they call a "mojo," a cyberjournalist. I'm a former newspaper reporter who has traded in my ink stains for electron bombardment. I blog, I post, I upload and update. I help increase traffic on Web sites.
My office is a Prius, stocked with an HD video camera, laptop and a WiFi card. I may not be able to operate a live truck (yet), but with a good Internet connection, I'm basically the same thing.
in a nutshell
I've been working online since 1996, and have a solid understanding of how to get video, text and images on the Web quickly.
My background is print, but for the past 10 years I've been shooting video for TV stations, web magazines and two of the largest newspapers in southern California.
I've covered Super Bowls and Stanley Cups, wildfires and courtroom trials, produced award-winning multimedia projects, taken breaking news photos on my cell phone and — because someone has to do it — covered a few bikini fashion shows.
since you asked
For the past two years, I've been working independently as a writer and videographer. I've been lucky enough to start and maintain relationships with a growing number of clients due to my affordable prices, quality and turnaround time. My YouTube page has received more than 3 million views and my videos have been used by Time.com, latimes.com, Surfline.com and others.
Previously, as a web editor for the The Orange County Register, I helped train photographers and staff writers in basic videography, editing and uploading. As a videographer, I helped cover the 2007 Santiago Fire, two playoff runs by the Los Angeles Angels, the Rose Bowl and was witness to the Anaheim Duck's Stanley Cup run.
As a staff writer for the The San Diego Union-Tribune's web site and newspaper, I wrote breaking news articles for the web site that ended up in next day's paper, took a photo on my cell phone that landed on A1 — below the fold — and produced and transmitted streaming video clips from the field.
In 2004, the Union-Tribune honored me as an employee of the year for my work and maintenance on one of the most comprehensive Iraq war memorial pages on the Web.
As a principal content producer at SignOnSanDiego.com, I helped cover the largest wildfire in California history, the disappearance of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam from her bedroom and the subsequent trial of her killer, David Westerfield, and reported on the fatal shooting spree at Santana High School in Santee, Calif. I also headed SignOnSanDiego's Super Bowl and Petco Park pages, produced award-winning border immigration and prison outreach multimedia projects.
Prior to that, I worked as a general assignment reporter for the Times-Standard in Eureka, Calif. My beats at the paper included police and public safety, courts, environment, city and county government, sports, education, arts and entertainment, features and seniors. I also assisted in page layout and photography.
My first job out of school was at the San Diego Daily Transcript. At the Daily Transcipt we prided ourselves in scooping everyone else, by printing the paper's content online the day before it hit street. As a copy editor, my job was first to prepare stories for going online, and then help prepare them for the next day's paper.