Matthew K. Ritchie
Summary
Dynamic reporter and producer with a proven track record at MLB.com, adept in multimedia storytelling and editorial judgment. Skilled in Adobe Suite and social media management, I excel in cultivating player relationships and delivering compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Recognized for impactful longform features on cultural intersections in sports.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Diversity Content Fellow, Reporter/Producer
MLB.com
02.2023 - Current
- Handling game coverage during Spring Training, regular season, and postseason for baseball, cultivating player relationships through shared experience while working on deadline when filling in for beat reporters, and navigating breaking news as a replacement reporter.
- Editing duties include producing game and newsletter content on multiple content management systems, running club sites like Yankees.com and Astros.com, and managing newsletter campaigns for MLB.com readers and subscribers.
- Reporting on the intersection between culture and sports, embarking upon longform features that explored the history of the Negro Leagues and Black Americans' deep relationship to the sport.
- Bylines: Radcliffe brothers' connection to Negro Leagues past, Birmingham Black Barons feature, The 1964 Birmingham Barons as the first integrated team in the city, On Padres rookie Jackson Merrill's breakout stretch, On Willie Mays' childhood friend Charles Willis, Statcast analysis of Yordan Alvarez and Jon Singleton's home runs
Freelance Writer (Music and Sports)
12.2017 - Current
- Cultural criticism and reporting through album and book reviews, longform essays discussing the place of Hip-Hop legends in the modern age of streaming and the permanence of racial satire, and profiles and features with artists and comedians.
- In the sports realm, experience includes producing analysis essays on trends and turning point moments in baseball, as well as award-winning feature reporting on high school baseball in Chicago.
- Bylines: Chicago Reader 'On the south side, a quest to keep Black baseball alive,' Pitchfork reviews (Jonah Yano, 21 Savage, Veeze, Kendrick Lamar), GQ on Kendrick Lamar, NPR on De La Soul, Los Angeles Review of Books on the pervasive nature of racial satire in 2022 and Sly Stone's memoir, Baseball Prospectus on Jo Adell's swing journey and Sandy Alcántara's Cy Young year, Rolling Stone on alternative R&B artist Liv.e, rapper Tony Shhnow
Graduate Research Assistant
Northwestern University
11.2022 - 08.2023
- Worked under Emmy Award-winning lawyer, journalist, and associate professor Christopher Benson, providing fact checking, collecting research materials and bibliography work for his book, A Few Days Full of Trouble (co-authored with Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr.).
Public Relations Intern
The Washington Commanders
05.2019 - 08.2019
- Handled multiple projects that included the creation of the 2019-2020 Media Guide, assisted in preparation for media requests for training camp, and organized statistics to update the team's history.
- Worked closely with the players on the team to handle media requests for interviews.
Editorial Intern
The Baltimore Office of the Afro-American Newspapers (AFRO.com)
06.2018 - 08.2018
- Wrote articles focused on national and Baltimore news, ranging from the Maryland primary election to coverage of cultural events around the city.
- Conducted and transcribed interviews, researched archived articles, and ran social media accounts.
- Adhered to strict, weekly deadlines in a fast-paced newsroom at 19-years-old.
- Published nine articles during my summer internship, including commentary on White House visits for championship teams and features on local Black figures in Baltimore.
Education
Master of Journalism -
Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
01.2022
Bachelor of Science - English and Psychology
Johns Hopkins University
01.2021
Skills
- Adobe Studio
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Premiere Pro
- Lightroom
- Project coordination
- Coding
- RStudio
- HTML
- CMS
- CSS
- Java
- Copy Editing
- Photography
- Videography
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Editorial judgment
- Critical thinking
- Written and oral report creation
- Proficient in spanish
- Media relations
- Content management
- Social media strategy
- Strategic communication
Associations And Achievements
- Johns Hopkins University Varsity Baseball, 2017-2021, 2021 Captain & Infielder
- National Association of Black Journalists, Present
- Johns Hopkins Black Student Athlete Association, Co-President, 2020
Timeline
Diversity Content Fellow, Reporter/Producer
MLB.com
02.2023 - Current
Graduate Research Assistant
Northwestern University
11.2022 - 08.2023
Public Relations Intern
The Washington Commanders
05.2019 - 08.2019
Editorial Intern
The Baltimore Office of the Afro-American Newspapers (AFRO.com)
06.2018 - 08.2018
Freelance Writer (Music and Sports)
12.2017 - Current
Master of Journalism -
Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
Bachelor of Science - English and Psychology
Johns Hopkins University
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