Alexia Aston
Oklahoma City,OK
Summary
Results-driven politics reporter known for exclusive breaking political news coverage, high mobility and front page stories. Successfully increased engagement by fostering trust within marginalized communities, political experts and lawmakers. Ready to show up and deliver unique and impactful stories.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Politics reporter
The Oklahoman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
01.2024 - Current
- Reported exclusive breaking news stories while staying politically informed.
- Conducted in-depth interviews with political figures, including elected officials and candidates for office.
- Analyzed legislative developments to provide timely commentary and insights.
- Researched political issues to produce informative articles for local readership.
- Established rapport with marginalized sources to ensure their voices were heard. with marginalized sources, particularly within LGBTQ+ communities.
- Drove subscription growth through compelling storytelling and community engagement.
News Managing Editor
OU Daily
Norman, Oklahoma
09.2020 - 12.2023
- Achieved highest page views for news desk in recent history.
- Led coverage of death of Norman woman in law enforcement custody.
- Broke significant stories, including Gaylord Dean's resignation and professor's arrest for lewd acts.
News Intern
The Tulsa World
Tulsa, OK
06.2022 - 08.2022
- Completed six-story project within two months, contributing to timely content delivery
- Explored the new city to understand its culture and demographics. and created relationships with prominent residents to find stories
- Assisted professional journalists to gain insights into daily paper operations and editorial processes
News Editor
OU Daily
Norman, Oklahoma
01.2022 - 05.2022
- Assumed leadership role during staffing challenges, providing urgent editorial support.
- Supervised fact-checking process to ensure information accuracy and credibility.
News Reporter
OU Daily
Norman, Oklahoma
09.2020 - 12.2021
- Revealed staffing challenges and limitations within OU's counseling center.
- Contributed investigative coverage of Julius Jones, a death row inmate.
- Exposed gender wage gaps impacting university staff salaries.
- Reported breaking news regarding Proud Boys attending Ann Coulter’s event at OU.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OKSkills
- Breaking news coverage
- Political writing
- On-scene reporting
- Fact-checking
- Legislative research
- Political analysis
- Investigative reporting
- Beat reporting
- Information gathering
- Story pitching
- Editing skills
- Deadline management
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
Training
The National Press Foundation's Widening the Pipeline fellowship
Awards
Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists, 2023, spot news honorable mention
Moore-Hodges Fund, 2021, for commitment to working with marginalized communities
Jarita P Bicknell Askins, 2021, Journalism and Mass Communications award
References
- Hannah Allam: National security reporter, ProPublica, 202-714-4506, Hannah.Allam@propublica.org
- Molly Young: Politics and investigations editor, The Oklahoman, 503-927-1203, MollyYoung@usatodayco.com
- Jason Collington: Former Tulsa World editor-in-chief, 918-581-8464, jasoncollington@gmail.com
Timeline
Politics reporter
The Oklahoman
01.2024 - Current
News Intern
The Tulsa World
06.2022 - 08.2022
News Editor
OU Daily
01.2022 - 05.2022
News Reporter
OU Daily
09.2020 - 12.2021
News Managing Editor
OU Daily
09.2020 - 12.2023
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism
University of Oklahoma