Résumé
Kate Martin’s résumé
Work experience
Skagit Valley Herald
Mount Vernon, Wash. September 2007 to present
Education reporter. Cover K-college schools in Skagit County, Wash., which includes seven school districts from suburban to rural, Skagit Valley College, several private schools and preschools. One of the challenges of this beat included contacting skittish sources who had been burned by reporters in the past. They were wary about talking to me about anything. Now, even if I’m writing a “negative” story, they’re happy to talk to me.
- Write a weekly education focus feature package, which sometimes includes audio content. Collaborate with editors, photographers and the Web department when necessary.
- Work with the staff on other projects outside of my beat, including entertainment, business, sports and Skagit Living features.
Reporter-Herald
Loveland, Colo. September 2003 to June 2007
Larimer County and political reporter. Cover Larimer County, Colo. issues, from land use to health and human services. Also included surrounding counties and political races for the rural areas of the county. Created and maintained a vast source list for use in future stories.
- Coordinated with the Web editor to create compelling online packages.
- Participated in the redesign of the Reporter-Herald using Readership Institute data and suggestions.
- Worked with Special Projects Editor Jason Hackett to produce weekly newsroom podcasts.
I started working with multimedia in March 2007 with the inception of the Reporter-Herald’s weekly podcasts (no longer in operation). I recorded audio and wrote scripts for more than 20 pieces for the online production. These podcasts were produced by then-Special Projects Editor Jason Hackett (listen to his audio reference for me, which he recorded in Summer 2007):
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Daily Press
Newport News, Va. July 2000 to August 2003
Freelance reporter
- Covered the competitive sailboat racing circuit, adult club rugby and high school swimming.
- Wrote weekly sports features and neighborhood profiles.
Education
College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C. Class of 2000. B.A. Media Studies, news concentration.
Awards
2007
First place, Recognizing excellence, Pioneer Newspapers, staff project Skagit Warming. This was an eight-part series that delved into how global warming will impact the community in the coming years (my contribution here).
Third place, environment and energy, SPJ Region 10, staff project Skagit Warming.
Good Samaritan Lifesaving Award, Skagit County EMS Commission, for helping save the life of a coworker by performing rescue breathing until EMS crews arrived.
Second place, special section, Colorado SPJ, Making a Difference, staff project.
2006
First place agriculture story, Colorado Press Association, about a boy and his steer.
Third place, spot news, Colorado Press Association, with reporter Adrienne Hoenig, about a police chase after a bank robbery. The suspect later committed “suicide by cop.”
First place, spot news, Colorado Associated Press Reporters and Editors, with reporter Pamela Dickman, about a standoff between a young marine who didn’t want to go back to Iraq and the local police.
Second place, online special package, Colorado Associated Press Reporters and Editors, staff project, to memorialize the 30th anniversary of Colorado’s largest natural disaster, the Big Thompson Flood (my contribution here).
2005
Second place, “service to the first,” Colorado Press Association, staff project.
2004
Third place, general news, Colorado SPJ, for a story on a disagreement between a county commissioner and the county sheriff.
Honorable mention, feature story, National News Association, Facing West Nile.