Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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J. R. Lind

Nashville,TN

Summary

Creative, versatile and dedicated veteran journalist with 15+ years of a proven track record of distilling complex concepts into compelling and understandable writing. Flexible, curious and enthusiastic about learning and communicating new topics with deadline-beating rapidity.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience

Work History

Staff Writer

Nashville Scene
Nashville, TN
04.2019 - Current
  • Cover housing and development, historic preservation, agriculture, state and local politics, sports, culture and music, amassing more than 700 bylines.
  • Launched monthly column focused on neighborhood history, culture, and development, now most-viewed recurring feature on publication's website.
  • Coordinate annual In Memoriam issue, managing hundreds of stories and scores of contributors.
  • Developed well-received cover packages on local veterans and legacy of Andrew Jackson in his hometown.

Freelance Reporter

Self-employed
Nashville, TN
07.2018 - Current
  • Pitch, develop and report stories for local and national outlets including the New York Times, the Associated Press, The Tennessee Journal, the Nashville Post, Nashville Scene and Major League Soccer.
  • Contributed to the Times' breaking coverage of Christmas Day bombing in Nashville.

Editor

Patch Media
Nashville
08.2016 - 07.2018
  • Launched and operated seven Middle Tennessee local news sites for national digital local news operation, amassing more than 6,000 bylines with coverage in business, politics and government, crimes and courts, sports, community events and more.
  • Produced daily newsletters and breaking news alerts with average open rate of more than 30 percent.
  • Led and coordinated site-wide coverage of Nashville-area breaking news with national interest.
  • Recognized by local historic preservation groups for coverage of the effort to remove James K. Polk's tomb from Tennessee's State Capitol and nominated for the Tennessee Bar Association's Fourth Estate Award for outstanding legal coverage.

Staff Writer

SouthComm Publishing
Nashville
11.2009 - 08.2016
  • Covered real estate and development, manufacturing, courts, sports business and politics for The City Paper, Nashville Scene and Nashville Post with more than 1800 bylines.
  • Launched The City Paper's news column, the Scene's sports column and was primary writer for the Post Politics blog.
  • Produced twice-daily newsletters with average open rate of more than 25 percent.

Staff Writer

The Lebanon Democrat
Lebanon, TN
01.2006 - 12.2009
  • Covered state and local government, politics and elections, business, industry, agriculture and real estate, religion and values and sports.
  • Won Tennessee Press Association and Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors Awards for deadline reporting, features, business news, education and public service reporting.

Petty Officer Third Class

United States Navy
, United Kingdom
02.2002 - 02.2006
  • Served in Illinois, California, Virginia and the United Kingdom.
  • Honorably discharged.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Journalism

Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN

Skills

  • Associated Press style
  • WordPress
  • HTML
  • Search engine optimization
  • Verbal and Written Communication
  • Microsoft Office

Timeline

Staff Writer

Nashville Scene
04.2019 - Current

Freelance Reporter

Self-employed
07.2018 - Current

Editor

Patch Media
08.2016 - 07.2018

Staff Writer

SouthComm Publishing
11.2009 - 08.2016

Staff Writer

The Lebanon Democrat
01.2006 - 12.2009

Petty Officer Third Class

United States Navy
02.2002 - 02.2006

Bachelor of Arts - Journalism

Middle Tennessee State University
J. R. Lind