Alena Schwarz

Level II Editor / Designer

McClatchy Publishing Center; December 2014 - Present

Cut stories for print, rewrite headlines, compile sports roundups, and design news, sports and features pages for McClatchy’s 26 newspapers. Also responsible for choosing news and sports daily content lineups.

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Additional responsibilities:

• Leader of the Publishing Center's Diversity Panel: Tasked with developing recommendations for the company meant to increase diverse representation in the content that appears in print newspapers and digital editions, including leading and analyzing audits of the content on all 1As and the three wire desks -- news, sports and features.

• Trained as a "coordinator:" Tasked with solving problems between all areas of the Publishing Center, including working with newsrooms, the advertising department, press rooms and those working within the Publishing Center itself.

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Accomplishments:

• Adapting to annual restructuring, workflow and responsibility changes

• Training new and current staff

• Receiving cross-training on nearly every position at the publishing center

• Meeting an average of 10 different deadlines per day.

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Copy Editor / Page Designer

The (Hilton Head) Island Packet, and The Beaufort Gazette; July 2013 - December 2014

Copy edited stories and designed news and features pages for the two McClatchy-owned publications.

 

Staff Writer / Photographer

Capitals Outsider; May 2011 - October 2018

Covered Washington Capitals games, camps and events for the credentialed blog, which included interviews with coaches and players.
 

Accomplishments:

• Worked with the team's PR staff to arrange interviews with players and coaches

• Learned about players' statistics while tracking the team's prospects through their seasons

• Engaged in a professional sports atmosphere

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Sports Editor

The Towerlight; May 2012 - May 2013

Ran the sports section for Towson University's student-run,  twice-weekly campus newspaper. Duties included editing and assigning all stories and beats, managing online content, tweeting stories and game and event updates, designing the section (which ranged between two and four pages each issue), and organizing photographers and videographers for games and events. Also created the weekly hockey column "Slapshots." Previously held the Assistant Sports Editor position.

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Accomplishments:

• Managerial experience hiring new writers and working with all writers to improve their skills and ensure they were using proper grammar and AP Style

• Created the weekly hockey column "Slapshots"

• Made editorial decisions about running potentially controversial stories

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Travel Intern

USA TODAY; Summer 2012

Put together online city guides for 75 U.S. cities with the travel media group. The guide was produced in collaboration with Hilton hotels and included information for travelers such as top restaurants, night life, shopping, recreational activities and other points of interest for each city.

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Photographer

The Towerlight; September 2010 - May 2013

Primarily took sports photos, but also took photos of plays and musicals, guest speakers visiting campus, commencement ceremonies and various news events one to two times a week.

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Sports Reporter

The Towerlight; October 2009 - May 2012

Held the women’s volleyball beat from October 2009 - November 2012 covering Towson University’s Division-I team. Held the women’s gymnastics beat from January 2010 - May 2010 covering the university’s Division-I women’s gymnastics team. Wrote articles covering each meet/match as well as features and season previews for print. Filled in covering other sports and sports-related news as needed.

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Sports Editor

The Oakton Outlook; June 2008 - June 2009

Wrote articles covering various sports for Oakton High School’s student-run monthly newspaper, located in Vienna, Va. Managed staff, and edited and assigned stories. Also designed the seven-page section and took photos. Previously was a staff writer.