About Jennifer | Independent Journalist
I am an independent journalist who supports local journalism through Whatcom Watch, a truly independent weekly that has been publishing for more than 18 years. As a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Seattle Chapter of the AAJA, I am a proponent of free speech and of maintaining the integrity of journalism ethics worldwide.
My career as a professional journalist spans close to 20 years starting out as a radio news reporter in upstate New York. The alphabet soup please: WRWD, WGY, WGNY WPTR, & WVOS. In 1994, I served a stint at the Associated Press in Albany, NY where I covered the overnight shift running the print and broadcast desks.
I moved onto daily news writing for the Gannett-owned Poughkeepsie Journal, my hometown paper. I have enjoyed submitting freelance work to the local weeklies and other community papers like the Blue Stone Press in High Falls. In New York City, I worked the Wall Street beat writing for CNNMoney (then CNNfn), and doing on-air reporting on a range of personal finance topics: the world of hedge funds, the appropriate mix for your 401(k) and how to retire at an early age.
My foundation in journalism began at Ithaca College as a TV/Radio major. I enhanced my experience further by incorporating another program my junior year: the Washington Semester Program for Journalism at American University. While taking undergraduate classes toward my major, I served an Internship at CNN preparing scripts, copy and video for the evening news. I also assisted on the Larry King LIVE show, which followed the newscast, and was then based out of DC.
I went on to earn a master's degree in communication and leadership in 2006. My understanding and training in research, refinement of knowledge and corroboration of sources strengthens my ability to be a fair journalist. ə