Reporter at The Gadsden Times
Birmingham, Alabama Area
- Current
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- Reporter at The Gadsden Times
- Past
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- Bureau Reporter at The Daily Home
- Senior Reporter/Copy Editor at The Collegian
- Lab Assistant at Information Technology Services
- Staff Writer at Cybercast News Service
- Barista at The Gathering Coffee Shop
- Marketing/Advertising Manager at FSBOzone.com
- Education
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- Hillsdale College
- Connections
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122
connections
- Industry
- Writing and Editing
- Websites
Katherine Poythress’s Summary
• Award-winning reporter on all subjects, with panache and a penchant for covering everything hyper-local from hard investigative pieces to soft features. Outstanding senses of initiative and innovation, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and tenacity when dealing with hard-to-crack stories and subjects. Strong grasp on emerging multimedia opportunities, having produced audio/visual packages for the Web to complement story subjects and content.
• Copy editing experience with strong emphasis on AP style and writing style, and some design components.
Katherine Poythress’s Specialties:
Features, investigations, photography, comprehensive packaging, multimedia for Web, blogging.
Katherine Poythress’s Experience
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Reporter
The Gadsden Times
(Writing and Editing industry)
August 2009 — Present (5 months)
General assignment reporter covering two municipalities, non-profit organizations countywide, schools and community colleges.
Photography, packaging multimedia content for the Web, producing enterprise pieces and series. -
Bureau Reporter
The Daily Home
(Newspapers industry)
July 2008 — August 2009 (1 year 2 months)
Covering local news with everything from features to investigative pieces, with some magazine work thrown in. Beat reporting on the City of Childersburg and all that happens therein.
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Senior Reporter/Copy Editor
The Collegian
(Newspapers industry)
August 2005 — May 2008 (2 years 10 months)
• Thoroughly covered hard-news, sports, features and investigative stories
• Edited copy in AP style for Focus, Features and Opinions sections
• Produced multimedia coverage of stories and packaged content for the Web
• Submitted a minimum of three creative and relevant story ideas each week
• Submitted a minimum of two engaging headline ideas with each story -
Lab Assistant
Information Technology Services
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)
August 2005 — May 2008 (2 years 10 months)
• Provided on-the-spot technical support for computer hardware and software (both Mac and IBM-compatible computers).
• Kept lab stocked and clean.
• Enforced lab rules and regulations. -
Staff Writer
Cybercast News Service
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Online Media industry)
May 2007 — August 2007 (4 months)
• Covered hard-news and political stories, producing and pursuing my own story ideas
• Participated in investigative reporting with database construction and management
• Learned to work closely with a partner—co-wrote some stories and contributed to others
• Produced approximately 30 bylines -
Barista
The Gathering Coffee Shop
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Food & Beverages industry)
August 2004 — May 2006 (1 year 10 months)
• Prepared excellent quality specialty beverages with great customer service.
• Managed cash register and kitchen stock.
• Cleaned and maintained store and machinery. -
Marketing/Advertising Manager
FSBOzone.com
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Real Estate industry)
May 2005 — August 2005 (4 months)
• Developed and executed focused marketing campaigns
• Wrote concise, energetic text for brochures, flyers, postcards, sales materials and blogs
• Managed local and regional sales
• Built up relations with local press and associates
• Researched and compiled database of legal real estate documents for all 50 states
Katherine Poythress’s Education
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Hillsdale College
B.A. , English, Journalism , 2004 — 2008
Participated in 2-week investigative reporting seminar with The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes. Mentored underclassmen freelancers and staffers on newspaper writing and journalism.
Selected to participate in 58-hour executive leadership education course in which I conducted extensive self analysis including individualized consultation. Engaged in team leadership development with projects based on group culture analysis and problem-solving.
Vice President of Finance for Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women. Participated in weekly officer meetings to plan chapter programming. Responsible for the collective finances of 80 girls. Worked with philanthropy officer to raise and donate record amounts of money to local and national philanthropies.
Resident Assistant: Provided peer counseling for 80+ girls, served as liaison between administrators and students, planned and hosted campus informational and social events, and developed philanthropy opportunities for dorm community.- Activities and Societies:
- Student Newspaper, Honors, Debate/Forensics Team, Herbert H. Dow Journalism Program, Pi Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi, Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Library Assistant, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Resident Assistant, Information Technology Services
Additional Information
Katherine Poythress’s Websites:
Katherine Poythress’s Interests:
Literature, words & pictures, language & culture, the South, expanding my book library, reading, journalism, travel, politics, health and medicine, philosophy, skiing, adventure, truth & honesty (they are not the same thing), moderate to warm climates, rappelling, Frisbee, outdoor strategy games, paradoxes & ironies, anomalies & regularities, music & silence, stories, rhythm, arranging, sleep (but apparently I don't love it enough), food, working out (pilates/running/dance)
Katherine Poythress’s Groups:
Pi Beta Phi, Society of Professional Journalists, Journchat, Jtwits
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Writing Mafia -
Society of Professional Journalists -
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity -
Hillsdale College Alumni Network
Katherine Poythress’s Honors:
-First Place, Community Service Reporting, Division Three of the 2008 Associated Press Managing Editors contest.
-Awarded 1st Place Sports News in 2007 Michigan Press Association College Editorial Contest
-Earned Most-Improved Reporter Award 2005-2006, The Collegian, MI
-Received Most Readable Story of the Week Award, The Collegian, MI
-Page 1 Story of the Week, The Collegian, MI
-Page 1 Feature Story of the Week, The Collegian, MI
-1st Place Team Debate, 2007 Michigan State tournament
Katherine Poythress’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
