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Megan PoinskiTelling stories with words, the web and data

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About Me

/Who Am I?

I’m an investigative reporter, editor, business intelligence analyst and web professional.

I can dig into public records to hold the government accountable, analyze data and use visualizations to tell its stories, make written copy clear, concise and informative, and build a website to engage users.

I ran the Washington Post’s homepage, working to quickly keep the page up-to-date and relevant, and assisting in catapulting the newspaper’s site ahead of other legacy media competitors with tens of millions of new users.

I have been a daily news reporter and editor, and have covered a wide range of beats. I reported on state-level government in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Maryland, and municipal and county-level government in Ohio. I also have covered all levels of courts.

I also can use web platforms, programming, and content management systems to connect people, news and technology. Through user input and feedback, as well as using principles of information architecture, I redesigned the website at MarylandReporter.com to improve its usability and interaction, increasing unique visitors by nearly a third.

Additionally, I am an experienced business intelligence analyst, and can use visualization software to analyze data to present it in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

- Steve Jobs -

Services

/What I do

I have more than 15 years of professional experience in telling stories. I’ve worked for print newspapers, news websites, and business intelligence companies. I have done most of the jobs in a newsroom, and I can build powerful, interactive data visualizations. I can use most content-management systems, know how to measure and use site analytics, and am familiar with web programming languages. Additionally, I know how to use user testing to improve site traffic.

WRITING AND EDITING

  • Award-winning reporter who has written about state-level government and politics in Maryland, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Ohio
  • Supervisory editor for the metro section of The Washington Times and at MarylandReporter.com
  • Adjunct faculty member teaching introduction to newswriting and reporting at George Washington University
  • Freelance editor for government publications and websites

ONLINE WORK

  • Regional homepage editor for The Washington Post, manually curating the content and its presentation for the version of the page targeted to D.C.-area users
  • Led user-centered redesign of MarylandReporter.com
  • Worked with social media accounts for The Washington Post, The Washington Times and MarylandReporter.com
  • Familiar with most major content-management systems
  • Edited and sent email newsletters affiliated with The Washington Post and MarylandReporter.com

DATA

  • Experienced data journalist
  • Tableau Desktop 9 Qualified Associate
  • Knows how to read analytics and change web content accordingly
  • Can create infographics, maps and analytics dashboards

Resume

/My career so far

Education
May 2011

Master of information management

University of Maryland - College Park

Coursework included:

  • Information architecture
  • Social media
  • HTML/CSS and PHP/MySQL
  • Usability testing

Bachelor of arts in journalism

George Washington University

Graduated magna cum laude, with honors in journalism

May 2001
Experience
Jan 2016

Business intelligence analyst

DSK Solutions, McLean, Va.

Worked with association clients to analyze data in internal systems and website analytics.

Used Tableau to design and build data visualizations.

Developed and conducted training courses for clients in analysis and Tableau software.

Regional homepage editor

The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.

Curated one of the nation’s highest-trafficked homepages to show users important and interesting content.

Was part of the team that increased traffic by more than 50 percent in a year and made washingtonpost.com the top U.S. newspaper media website.

Utilized headlines, blurbs and pictures to increase user engagement.

Changed page design, content and appearance based on up-to-the-minute analytics.

Sent e-mail, text and social media alerts for breaking news.

Jan 2013
Apr 2012

Deputy metro editor

The Washington Times, Washington, D.C.

Supervised five reporters who covered local news.

Sharpened and improved stories by editing.

Ran social media accounts.

Adjunct professor

George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Taught introduction to newswriting and reporting to undergraduates. Curriculum included:

  • News and feature story structures
  • Conducting interviews
  • Writing ledes
  • Grammar and AP style
  • Ethics and libel
  • News for the internet

Jan 2012
Jul 2010

Associate editor

MarylandReporter.com, Columbia, Md.

Reported and edited stories about Maryland state government, focusing on the legislature.

Increased traffic 300 percent by redesigning website based on UX testing.

Prepared and sent daily newsletter to more than 5,000 subscribers.

Government/politics reporter

The Virgin Islands Daily News, St. Thomas, VI

Reported about state-level and federal government, politics and policy.

Investigated government corruption, fraud and deception.

Won several national reporting awards.

Sep 2003
Aug 2001

Reporter

Ashtabula Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio

Reported on politics, education, police and human interest items in the Ashtabula and Geneva areas.

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