Versatile writer, journalist & professor based in Los Angeles with experience covering entertainment, food, lifestyle, real estate, ecommerce, and more. Available for assignments in LA and abroad.
Your Early-Career Network Begins in J-School
When Taylor Jung started attending Columbia Graduate School of Journalism part-time, she was prepared to be challenged. But she had no idea that one rigorous class would forge a bond with her classmates that lasted after graduation.
“We all came together, and it became a safe space for each other to talk about what we were going through in the class,” said Jung, who graduated in 2021. “But then it also became about our greater challenges in the industry, like finding a job and trying to navig...
Media Is in Flux. Don’t Let That Dissuade You From a Journalism Career.
At a recent get-together with friends, I mentioned to an acquaintance that I teach journalism at the University of Southern California.
“Maybe you should talk your students out of pursuing that career,” they said.
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I winced. Even with all the turmoil in the industry — 500 journalists were laid off in January alone, according to Politico — I still believe journalism education remains more vital than ever. And I’m not the only educator or journalist who feels that way...
From Podcast to Print: How to Be a Versatile Journalist
Journalist Jeffrey Lee fell in love with podcasting as a student at Arcadia High School in Southern California, making two audio shows, “History/Herstory” and “Keepin’ It Arcadia.” In college, he took his love of audio to the next level, joining a student-run radio show at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Lee was ready to make audio his career when he applied for a podcasting internship at the Los Angeles Times during his final year. When he didn’t get it, he was dis...
Burnout Remains a Problem. Journalists Are Helping Each Other Cope.
Back in 2019, I had a glamorous job as an entertainment editor, attending movie premieres and regularly interviewing celebrities on the red carpet. But at home, I had trouble sleeping, felt exhausted all the time and was experiencing high levels of inflammation.
My doctor tried to find the medical cause but eventually said, “I think you need to change jobs. This one is burning you out.”
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Unfortunately, I’m one of many journalists to come to that realization — the Ce...
How to Fix the Unpaid, Unfair Barrier to Journalism Jobs
Throughout my nearly 20-year career, I’ve made a social media plan, written breaking news stories and edited articles for multiple big-name publications — all for free.
That’s because I wasn’t a staffer or freelancer when I received those assignments. They were unpaid edit tests, an often laborious exercise given by hiring managers to evaluate the skills of job candidates. They’re also a necessary hurdle for young and experienced journalists alike.
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The value of an ...
Build Your Own Personal ‘Board of Directors’
When I started my journalism career in the mid-2000s, I had mentors abandon me. During a career crisis, journalist friends ghosted me. Some were busy. Others gossiped about me. The message became clear: If I was going to succeed in journalism, I’d have to do it by myself.
I sustained that philosophy throughout the next 15 years, working at major publications as a freelancer, staff writer and, ultimately, an editor. As a journalist of color in predominantly white newsrooms, I often felt like a...
5 Reasons To Get Excited About a Journalism Career
When I told my best friend I wanted to go to college to become a journalist, he was not exactly supportive.
“But you are so smart! Why don’t you become a doctor or lawyer?” he suggested.
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He believed my career choice meant that I would never be financially stable. He worried that my aspirations of covering race and inequities, areas that publications rarely prioritized in the early 2010s, was a pipe dream.
As I progressed through university, other people continued t...
Princess Kate Is Largely Out of the Public Eye. That Doesn’t Mean Journalists Should Speculate.
Update March 22, 3:15 pm ET: Since this article first ran on Mar. 21, Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced in a video message Friday that she is undergoing cancer treatment. The princess said she is undergoing “a course of preventative chemotherapy” on the advice of her medical team, but she did not specify what kind of cancer she has.
The health of famous political figures has dominated headlines in recent months. The advanced ages of the two leading presidential candidates — President Jo...
Many People Get Jobs Through Networking. But What If You Have Social Anxiety?
After college graduation, I attended my first Asian American Journalists Association convention, excited to network and meet other journalists. But at the opening reception, I stood alone in the corner, holding a plate of finger food while other attendees greeted their friends.
I felt overwhelmed and anxious about introducing myself to new people — especially because everyone seemed to already know each other. Luckily, another young journalist approached me. “I don’t know anyone else either,”...
How young journalists are standing out in the job market
Like many Gen Zers stuck at home during the pandemic, then-17-year-old Matthew Tsai was bored. He loved listening to comedy podcasts, so he recruited his older sister to make their own, called “Tsai Five.” They recorded the first few episodes on Matthew’s phone while sitting on the floor at home. Eventually, their cousin composed the theme music for free.
Two years and a staggering 88 episodes later, Tsai is a sophomore at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism...
Serial Killers: “The Vampire in the Window” Florencio Fernández
Episode Description
Born in 1935, Florencio Fernández grew up in a region of Argentina nicknamed the “fortress of folklore.” As a teenager, destitute and alone, he watched a film at a local theater that would change his life — and inspire his crimes. That film’s name? Dracula. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Is Tupac Still Alive?
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Dark Side of...Horror: Edgar Allan Poe
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Disappearances: Vladimir Alexandrov
Vladimir Alexandrov
A leading climate scientist, once renowned internationally for his work on nuclear winter theory, vanished in Madrid in the mid-1980s. Vladimir Alexandrov made friends everywhere he went; his name was, at the very least, known by some of the most powerful figures in the American and Soviet governments. Yet his disappearance wasn
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Disappearances: Damien Nettles
Damien Nettles
The Isle of Wight has a dual identity. It’s a tourist destination with a pristine reputation. And it’s a small island where everybody knows everyone. So when a 16-year-old local vanishes one night in 1996, his parents are sure that whatever happened to him, it didn’t go unnoticed. Only, information proves to be scarce. And it se
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