Sonu Wasu

• Directed external communications strategy for a city of 285,000 residents, managing media response and messaging during high-visibility public safety incidents.
• Managed crisis communications during officer-involved incidents and major public safety events, developing rapid response messaging and advising leadership during periods of heightened media scrutiny.
• Directed daily communications operations, creating messaging frameworks, media templates, and community engagement content while leading social media storytelling that strengthened public trust and transparency.
• Managed regional and national media response during high-profile public safety incidents, shaping messaging and public narratives during intense scrutiny, including a nationally covered influencer family tragedy and an officer’s widely reported freeway rescue from a burning vehicle
• Managed day-to-day media relations and on-call press inquiries, ensuring accurate and timely information flow between the department and local media outlets.
• Collaborated with senior leadership to develop media positioning and messaging that strengthened clarity and consistency in executive communications.
• Drafted executive statements, media briefings, talking points, and public messaging for rapidly evolving situations.
• Monitored media coverage and stakeholder sentiment, guiding proactive communications strategies to mitigate potential risks and enhance public perception.

• Designed and launched the public communications framework for a newly established municipal police department.
• Led crisis communications and coordinated messaging across town leadership, public safety agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Directed communications and community engagement strategy that enhanced public safety departments' visibility and community trust during organizational growth and operational expansion.
• Developed public education initiatives focused on emergency preparedness, life safety, and community risk reduction.
• Cultivated relationships with media, civic leaders, and nonprofit partners to broaden public safety outreach and engagement efforts.
• Developed campaigns that raised community awareness and promoted safety initiatives.

• Developed high-impact investigative reports that heightened public awareness on key issues of public safety, consumer protection, and government accountability.
• Produced investigative reporting reaching audiences of more than 2 million viewers and earning multiple Emmy and Murrow awards.
• Led investigative reporting on complex public policy issues including the opioid crisis and emergency response systems, influencing public awareness and policy discussions.
• Established and nurtured trusted relationships with public officials, law enforcement leaders, and policy experts to facilitate in-depth reporting.
• Simplified complex legal, regulatory, and operational issues into compelling narratives for broad audiences.
• Crafted engaging scripts for on-air segments and online articles, enhancing audience understanding of critical issues.
• Reported breaking news and key events for ABC15 Arizona

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Launched the organizations first Enterprise and Investigative News Reporting Bureaus.

Reporter, anchor, and bureau chief across multiple U.S. markets covering breaking news, public safety, and investigative reporting.