Jessi Turnure
Washington,DC
Summary
Award-winning journalist seeking to transfer a passion for storytelling and vast knowledge of national, state and local politics into a strategic communications role focused on nonprofit work.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Washington Correspondent
Nexstar Media Group
05.2019 - Current
- Helped build a news bureau that now covers Congress, the White House and the U.S. Supreme Court for 200+ local television affiliates from Los Angeles to New York City.
- Coordinate and conduct about 250 live shots every month with affiliates on the top Washington story of the day, including the SCOTUS affirmative action decision, the Biden administration's student debt relief rollout and the passage of paid parental leave legislation.
- Translate complex hearings, policies and court rulings into compelling television and digital stories for audiences under daily deadlines, which often require extensive knowledge of issues related to post-secondary education and family economic mobility.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with key policymakers, which led to interviewing President Donald Trump one-on-one, along with regularly interviewing Education Secretaries Betsy DeVos and Miguel Cardona, other cabinet members of the Trump and Biden administrations, and members of Congress.
Statewide Political Correspondent/Anchor
KARK-TV
09.2015 - 05.2019
- Became the first female host of Capitol View, a weekly political talk show available in 2.5 million households with local, national and international guests, including 2018 #AscendFellow Gayatri Agnew.
- Researched, wrote and edited Capitol View, along with weekly talkbacks with Meet the Press Moderator Chuck Todd, which also required crafting media pitches and social media posts for multiple news outlets, including NBCUniversal.
- Served as the statehouse reporter, turning several complex stories daily for multiple newsrooms and digital platforms, which included breaking news on higher education grants for low-income students and paid parental leave policies.
- Planned, developed and led comprehensive team coverage of the state's eight scheduled executions, chosen as a media witness for an execution and won an Emmy.
Reporter/Anchor/Raycom Fellow
KAIT-TV
05.2013 - 09.2015
- Promoted from Raycom fellow/reporter to weekend anchor to morning co-anchor in less than two years.
- Collaborated regularly with the Arkansas State University president and various deans on stories ranging from a new child care grant for student parents to a mass shooting on campus.
- Served as the go-to reporter for political and breaking news coverage, which included low-income tax relief legislation and prison sentencing reform.
Reporter/Anchor/Digital Producer
KOMU-TV
08.2011 - 05.2013
- Shot, wrote and edited packages, and composed comprehensive digital stories on daily deadlines, mostly about state and local politics.
- Led an investigation into a sex trafficking ring that ultimately informed legislation.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Broadcast Journalism
Missouri School of Journalism
Columbia, MO05.2013
Skills
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- AP-style writing
- Social media management
- Project management
- Media relations
- Videography
- Photography
Timeline
Washington Correspondent
Nexstar Media Group
05.2019 - Current
Statewide Political Correspondent/Anchor
KARK-TV
09.2015 - 05.2019
Reporter/Anchor/Raycom Fellow
KAIT-TV
05.2013 - 09.2015
Reporter/Anchor/Digital Producer
KOMU-TV
08.2011 - 05.2013
Bachelor of Arts - Broadcast Journalism
Missouri School of Journalism