My name is Leah Schwarting, and I am currently a reporter with The Natchez Democrat. Throughout my educational and professional career, I’ve always been interested in going out into my community and finding out what’s going on. Incorporating multimedia into my stories has always interested me, which eventually led me to Natchez
Twitter: @LeahSchwarting
LinkedIn: Leah Schwarting
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Community Reporter at The Natchez Democrat – Boone Newspapers, Inc.
June 2015 – Present Natchez, MS
• Responsible for a Community Reporter beat, covering everything from general news and feature stories to in-depth pieces. Stays engaged with the local community as the face of the Natchez Democrat, and the first person to call upon for news coverage. Provides content and assists with special sections and special editions as required. Shares page building responsibilities in support of the desking and design processes. Contributes to a monthly lifestyle periodical, Natchez the Magazine, by providing feature stories.
Student life reporting intern – Florida Southern College
January 2015 – May 2015 (5 months) Lakeland, Florida Area
• Developed and produced 30 feature-length stories on student and faculty achievements; conducted interviews, photographed events and digitally published articles to the college website to meet or exceed weekly deadlines
Senior Editor – “The Southern,” Florida Southern College
January 2015 – May 2015 (5 months) Lakeland, Florida Area
• Mentored staff during the development, production and editing of a bi-weekly, cross-platform publication; worked collaboratively to ensure proper analysis and story development within established production timelines
Washington Center Internship, Reporting Intern – Talk Radio News Service
August 2014 – December 2014 (5 months)Washington D.C. Metro Area
• Field reporter for The White House, Congress, Supreme Court and Pentagon – 172 bylines; conducted interviews, edited audio and hand-picked for a field assignment to report on the mid-term elections from a battleground state
Editor-in-Chief – “The Southern,” Florida Southern College
January 2014 – April 2014 (4 months)Lakeland, Florida Area
• Produced the front page while writing and editing digital and hardcopy content; instrumental during the transition to a cross-platform publication and the rollout of an award winning website (Society of Professional Journalists)
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Macintosh/Mac Computers
- Basic Videography
- Adobe InDesign
- Audio Editing
- WordPress
- Photography/Photoshop
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science in Communication Fall 2012 – Spring 2015
- Florida Southern College, Lakeland FL (GPA 3.8/4.0)
- Member of Lambda Pi Eta (Communications honor society) April 2012 – Present
- 2013 FSC Journalist of the Year April 2013 and April 2014