United States
I'm an Austin-based independent journalist and publisher with over a decade of experience in political reporting, communications, and civic media. I started my career at The Austin Chronicle, where I worked my way up from intern to politics reporter, covering municipal and state government during a period of significant growth and change in Central Texas. My reporting focused on land use, environmental policy, and local neighborhood politics, with a particular emphasis on how third-party civic institutions shape public policy decisions. After my first stint in journalism, I transitioned into strategic communications roles with the City of Austin and later the Travis County Democratic Party, where I managed messaging initiatives, media strategy, and voter engagement efforts. These roles gave me a deep understanding out how institutions work and communicate, as well as how narratives form and propagate. After several years in the nonprofit space, I launched Rantz by Neenz, an independent civic media outlet combining reporting, satire, and performance art. Using Austin as a stage, I challenge journalism and social convention by rejecting norms of access, civility, and objectivity. My goal is to provide an alternative perspective on local issues, examining power dynamics and modeling civic accountability at the local and regional levels. Through this work, I aim to expose the flaws in institutional processes and shed light on the intersection of policy, politics, and culture.
For two years, I held down the Daily Dot’s evening shift as a freelance editor, working fast and clean across a high volume of stories—usually 5 to 8 per night. I managed writers in real time, edited for clarity and voice, and made sure every piece was accurate, publish-ready, and optimized to hit green in Yoast. Highlights: Managed a rotating crew of writers, offering edits, guidance, and sometimes pep talks Edited breaking news and internet culture stories with tight turnarounds Fact-checked thoroughly and ensured every piece met the site’s editorial standards Handled SEO top to bottom: key phrases, tags, slugs, meta descriptions Published via WordPress CMS and kept formatting clean and accessible This gig sharpened my instincts for digital publishing, team management under pressure, and writing that works for both humans and search engines.
Write brand-appropriate, engaging content to promote all lines of business for Goodwill Central Texas; develop and execute content strategy to disseminate copy across appropriate channels; support external communications including brand awareness and fundraising; create creative and long-form narrative success stories.
Managed social media channels; fielded media requests; produced press releases; crafted and sent out email campaigns; produced and edited content for internal memorandums, public editorials, and political mailers; and edited and maintained website copy.
Communications associate for District 6 Austin City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan. Assisted communications director with website development, intern management, media strategy, and photography.
Began in February 2013 as a general assignments intern working on listings and special issues (Best of Austin, Summer Fun, Wish List). Worked as a music writer, proofreader, assistant news editor, associate news editor, and freelancer over the next five years, before becoming a staff writer and covering City Hall, public safety, and neighborhood issues.