KASIA ANDERSON, Ph.D.
Cell: 310-817-3210 - [email protected] Summary Award-winning journalist and accomplished communication scholar with 20 years of experience in online and print journalism seeks editorial position in dynamic digital newsroom. My specialties as a journalist include entertainment, culture, politics, and breaking news. In addition to my prior experience covering technology and film during the dot-com boom in San Francisco and as a newspaper reporter in New York City, I have served as an executive editor for the last decade at a top independent news and opinion site based in Los Angeles. I am also pushing forward with my scholarly research with a website and book project currently in the works.
Education and Training
Ph.D.: Communication, 2018; Master’s: Communication, 2006 USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism － Los Angeles, CA, United States
3.92 GPA
Fields of study: Celebrity and politics, journalism, digital journalism, cultural studies, rhetorical criticism, popular culture, feminist studies, attention economy.
Conferences and pubilcations: Presented paper as part of the "Engaging Counterpublics" panel at the 2005 NCA/AFA Summer Conference on Argumentation in Alta, Utah. [Cf. Anderson, Kasia. "How to "Dixie Chick": Celebrity Advocacy, Public Protest and the Body Politic." Conference Proceedings -- National Communication Association/American Forensic Association (Alta Conference on Argumentation), Jan. 2005, pp. 306-311.]
Teaching assignments: Media and Society (T.A.); Ethical Issues in Entertainment and Communication (T.A.); Gender, Media, and Communication (T.A.); Music as Communication (T.A.), History of Broadcast Media (co-instructor); Introduction to Rhetoric (T.A.)
Awards: T.A. of the Year, 2004
Bachelor of Arts: 1997 Swarthmore College － Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Magna cum laude graduate Honors Program graduate Major in English Literature Minor in Sociology
Professional Experience Deputy Editor December 2013 to present Truthdig － Los Angeles, California Truthdig (www.truthdig.com) is an award-winning news and opinion website that focuses on current events, breaking news, politics and culture for an international readership. Advise editor-in-chief and publisher in planning short-and long-term coverage of news, plus feature stories, reviews, multimedia and other content. Manage 8-10 junior staff members and interns, assist them with pitching, writing, editing, posting and promoting stories on social media. Consult on development projects for story series sponsored by foundations, secure ongoing grants for key writers and award-winning projects such as Global Voices: Truthdig Women Reporting. Write several news stories and blog items per day, as well as longer-form movie reviews, television reviews and live blogs. Cultivate, manage and edit content by columnists, freelancers and other contributors. Represent site and assist in planning and producing Truthdig-sponsored special events: panels, screenings, talks and debates. Associate Director October 2012 to February 2014 Daniel Pearl Foundation － Los Angeles, California The Daniel Pearl Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating cross-cultural understanding and supporting the work of international journalists. Assisted the Executive Director in running the Foundation's three programs. Developed, managed and implemented the Daniel Pearl Youth News program. Conducted outreach and cultivated development relationships within and beyond the L.A. community. Wrote and won a grant worth $50,000 for the Foundation's website. Managed successful planning and implementation of funds and services secured by grant. Researched and assisted with selection and placement of overseas journalists for DPF's fellowship program. Served as Foundation representative for visiting fellows, collaborated with Los Angeles Press Club to produce event honoring fellows. News Editor April 2012 to October 2012 The Wrap － Los Angeles, California TheWrap is an online trade news site, covering the entertainment industry via breaking news, features and reviews, and competing with The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Deadline.com. Edited and produced an average of 15 news and opinion/review stories per day. Managed a group of 8-10 reporters and reviewers, assigning and editing their stories. Pitched and wrote long- and short-form stories, syndicated in partnership with Reuters. Contributed big-picture strategies for the site at editorial meetings and planning sessions. Established and developed a beat covering the intersection between entertainment and politics.
Associate Editor/Arts & Culture Editor February 2007 to April 2012 Truthdig － Los Angeles, California Edited and managed a group of prominent columnists, including Gore Vidal, Chris Hedges and Robert Scheer. Advised the publisher and editor-in-chief on branding and growing the site. Successfully led the planning and launch of Truthdig's Arts & Culture section. Wrote several film and book reviews, plus 4-8 multimedia blog items daily.
Represented Truthdig and developed the brand via weekly Truthdig Radio shows on KPFK 90.7 FM and at sponsored events. Established key partnerships with synergistic sites including The Huffington Post and The Nation. Reporter October 2000 to August 2002 New York Daily News － New York, NY The Daily News covers the five boroughs and ranks among the U.S.' top papers in terms of circulation. Covered a diverse lineup of NYC-based events every night for the features section. Conducted interviews with prominent figures from the political, cultural and literary arenas. Co-wrote daily entertainment columns, including the nationally syndicated "Rush & Molloy" column. Researched, wrote and collaborated with other sections on feature stories and series. Assisted columnists in identifying, pitching, reporting out and writing daily stories. Movie News Editor August 1999 to August 2000 Reel.com － Emeryville, California Reel.com was a content and e-commerce site for film buffs and an early adopter of matching/recommendation technology. Created all of Reel.com's content in its Movie News section. Interviewed filmmakers, actors and writers on press junkets and in one-on-one settings. Wrote film reviews, produced features and interviews for various sections of the site. Consulted with executive team and recommended innovation and growth strategies for the site's news and feature content. Produced panels, events and specialized content for the San Francisco Film Festival, which Reel.com co-sponsored.
Reporter/Producer August 1998 to August 1999 ON24.com － San Francisco, CA ON24.com began as a content producer, focusing on streaming media reports about the tech industry. Conducted and produced 8-10 streaming audio news briefs daily, featuring interviews with industry leaders. Created unique content covering technology, finance and other angles about companies like Microsoft, TiVo and eBay. Trained other reporters in online news and webcast media production. Assisted CEO and management team, during the company's earliest beginnings, in establishing, defining and shaping the enduring brand. Awards and Honors
• Southern California Journalism Award: First Place, Online Entertainment News (2016) • National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award: First Place, Online Industry/Arts News (2014) • Southern California Journalism Award: Second Place, Online Group Blog (2016) • National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award: Second Place, Online Celebrity News (2016) • Southern California Journalism Award: Second Place, Online Group Blog (2015) • Southern California Journalism Award: Third Place, Online Entertainment News (2016) • National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award: Third Place, Online Arts Hard News (2016) • Webby People's Voice Award: Political Blog (for Truthdig, 2015) • Webby Award: Political Blog (for Truthdig, 2011) • Webby Award: Political Blog (for Truthdig, 2010) • Webby Award: Political Blog (for Truthdig, 2007) • Webby People's Voice Award: Political Blog (for Truthdig, 2007)
Skills Managing newsrooms and training digital Fundraising journalists Event production Multimedia reporting and news production Radio feature reporting and interviewing Undergraduate- and graduate-level teaching Nonprofit development Reporting, writing, and editing of news and Proficient in Spanish feature articles Computer skills: HTML, CSS, JQuery, Excel, Word Social media for the news industry Press, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro