Melea VanOstrand
Miami,FL
Summary
Multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience across digital, TV and print platforms. Committed to working quickly and with accuracy. Adept at staying calm and efficient under high-stress and meeting deadlines. Detail-oriented with great listening and people engagement skills. Proven leader skilled in driving teams and engagement.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Bureau Chief
Daily Business Review
05.2021 - Current
- Editor of Daily Business Review and part of ALM Global's regional brand editor team
- Identified trends, problems, and anomalies in market from both observations and out-in-the-field meetings and relayed those to theme editors
- Managed content on the brand website, in daily newsletters and email alerts, and in print, determining the story lineups with a mix of law, real estate, banking, and finance coverage
- Monitored and analyzed web metrics and story coverage suggestions based on the metrics and audience feedback; pushed to increase traffic, engagement, and circulation
- Positive presence in the legal, real estate, and business community and represented the organization in a knowledgeable, professional manner; acted as liaison to the community and the courts
- Ensured stated deadlines were met and the highest quality and value were achieved
- Led a team of nearly a dozen professionals focused on print and digital operations.
- Represented the company at events and oversaw the awards programs
- Coordinated and planned special reports annually, including awards sections, and real estate and business of law reports
- Contributed to the recruitment and hiring process by actively participating in candidate interviews and assessments, ensuring the selection of talent.
- Collaborated with writing, editorial, and reporting staff to produce crisp and engaging content.
- Assigned routine stories and breaking news coverage for theFlorida bureau.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring, and training of team members.
Real Estate Reporter
Daily Business Review
05.2021 - 03.2023
- Wrote an average of 7-8 stories weekly about South Florida's commercial real estate market
- Followed through on beat sources, contacts and leads to gather information for stories
- Reviewed reports and front pages and made changes to improve copy flow
- Prepared daily budgets and selected photos for stories to boost readership
- Guest reporter on other ALM platforms such as GlobeSt, and Southeast Takeaways and produced a tech column
- Established and maintained relationships with credible sources
- Developed and maintained lasting customer relationships through quick turnaround and strong communication skills
News Anchor/ Reporter/Producer
Fox 55 News
08.2017 - 08.2019
- Planned and conducted research and pitched long-form stories to promote investigative news topics.
- Collected data from various sources to determine facts and opinions and fashioned into cohesive story for television broadcast.
- Disseminated news content through social media for better engagement with audiences and faster reporting.
- Drafted news headlines for broadcasting to capture listeners with clear and condensed writing.
- Reported from field locations and wrote stories under tight deadlines.
- Edited, proofread and fact-checked content for accuracy.
- Researched and analyzed newsworthy events, trends and issues.
- Covered special events and breaking news with eye for detail and tenacious pursuit of important information.
- Attended press conferences and other media events to gather relevant information and quotes for stories.
- Developed relationships with sources and contacts to gain additional insight.
- Anchored popular broadcast program with good ratings and audience engagement.
- Coordinated with photographers, videographers and graphic designers to supplement stories with multimedia content.
- Presented developments in stories in live broadcasts and recordings.
- Broadcasted and blind read copy for advertisements and breaking news developments.
- Fact-checked breaking news headlines by performing background research.
- Collaborated with producers and management to develop newscasts, promotions and teases.
Anchor/ Reporter/ Producer
KOTA-TV
06.2014 - 06.2017
- Co-anchored, and produced two 30-minute newscasts on weekends and reported and presented news during
- Coordinated with producers and on-air talent to create program content, new ideas, and segments.
- Collaborated with marketing and advertising teams to achieve successful launch of projects.
- Remained highly composed and calm in very fast-paced, stressful and constantly changing environments to provide optimal leadership and achieve desired results.
- Fill-in anchor and producer for weekday morning and evening shows
- Wrote, shot, edited, presented on-air stories using Adobe Premiere Pro
- Posted news stories, video, photos to station's website and social media platforms.
- Participated in editorial meetings to discuss story ideas and content.
- Researched and analyzed newsworthy events, trends and issues.
Reporter
WCSU-FM
08.2013 - 05.2014
- Wrote and delivered on-air stories and weather for weekday morning programming
- Researched and produced daily news reports
- Managed station's social media platform and website
- Created graphics for posts.
- Wrote and submitted accurate, engaging, and fact-checked stories.
- Utilized social media to promote stories and build audience.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Broadcast Journalism
Central State University
Master of Science - Criminal Justice
Boston University
Skills
- News reporting and Communication Skills
- Public Speaking
- Management and Leadership
- Staff Development
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Brand Awareness
- Social Media Management
- Copy Editing and Proofreading
- Hiring and Training
- Assignment Delegation
- Market and Competitor Research
- Organizational Leadership
- Performance Evaluations
Affiliations
National Association of Black Journalists
Timeline
Bureau Chief
Daily Business Review
05.2021 - Current
Real Estate Reporter
Daily Business Review
05.2021 - 03.2023
News Anchor/ Reporter/Producer
Fox 55 News
08.2017 - 08.2019
Anchor/ Reporter/ Producer
KOTA-TV
06.2014 - 06.2017
Reporter
WCSU-FM
08.2013 - 05.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Broadcast Journalism
Central State University
Master of Science - Criminal Justice
Boston University
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