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WRITING ROLES
You can find a list of my professional work experience below. I believe each position has played an instrumental role in my journey as a writer. If you would like to see my full resume, please get in touch with me directly at mczebini@gmail.com.
NEWSMAGAZINE NETWORK
ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS
Jan 2022 - Aug 2022
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Assisted with the editing and creation of two hyper-local newsmagazine publications focusing on West St. Louis and St. Charles counties in the greater St. Louis metro area (West Newsmagazine and Mid Rivers Newsmagazine) with a combined distribution of 75,000 per issue.
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Reported on St. Louis County government and in-depth issues concerning the local community, including the increase in sports tourism in the region, the push to drive Electric Vehicles, and whether recreational marijuana should be legal in Missouri.
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Produced videos to accompany web-based content, and photos to accompany web-based and print content. Managed the company’s Facebook and Instagram accounts (responsible for sharing stories, information, and videos on a daily basis).
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Created and conceptualized the company’s e-newsletter, “Coffee Break” three times per week. Copyedited and proofed web and print-based copy to detect and correct errors. Attended events and networked on behalf of the company.
AUBURN VILLAGER
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
2021
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Assisted with the editing and creation of a weekly newspaper focusing exclusively on Auburn, Alabama.
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Reported on the Auburn School District and Auburn University, including writing human interest/personality profiles on staffers who aren’t always put in the spotlight but make the school run, such as custodians, lunchroom workers and nurses.
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Wrote columns, took photos to accompany web and print-based content, produced videos to accompany web-based content, and managed the company’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (responsible for sharing stories, information, and videos on a daily basis).
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
REPORTER
2016 - 2021
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Reported on daily events occurring in the greater Pittsburgh metro area at a 36,000+ circulation daily newspaper. Worked a multitude of “beats,” including General Assignment, Breaking News, and Cops & Courts. Additionally worked a variety of Municipal Beats made up of certain communities and school districts.
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Topics covered included: municipal government (cities, counties), local school districts (grade and high schools) and higher education (colleges, universities), breaking news, public safety (police/crime, fire/EMS and courts) and news/lifestyle features.
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Additional responsibilities included photography, video creation and editing, working a variety of shifts based on company need (4 a.m.-noon, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., noon-8 p.m., 2 p.m.-10 p.m.), writing a weekly business feature known as “Building the Valley,” assisting with the creation and production of the daily e-newsletter, and participating in the company's Diversity Committee.
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Received five awards from the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association for the work produced over the course of my tenure, and had the highest-read story on the company’s website in 2020 (article about insurance premium refunds).
PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE
REPORTER
2014 - 2016
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Reported on the latest breaking news manifesting from 4 p.m.-midnight in the greater Pittsburgh metro area at a 100,000-Sunday circulation and 73,000-Thursday circulation newspaper. Additionally wrote human interest feature stories focusing on crime and courts, including a profile on a youth basketball team created by the brother of a homicide victim to keep youth off the path of violence, and a profile on a grief support group made up of mothers whose children all died from homicide or suicide.
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Prior to working the breaking news shift, I wrote for the company's PowerSource section, which reported on the natural gas boom (shale gas/fracking). In that role, I was responsible for weekly business profiles highlighting local businesses affected by the natural gas boom, as well as local solar, coal and nuclear power companies; including a story on the increase in women being employed by the shale gas industry, and a profile on a woman who created her own line of personal protective equipment/work wear for women working in the shale gas industry.
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I additionally served as ambassador of two-year associates on the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh’s Executive Committee.
ANNISTON STAR
REPORTER
2013 - 2014
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Served as the Cops & Courts reporter covering police, fire, and EMS departments, and criminal court proceedings with a focus on Calhoun County, Alabama and the cities of Anniston, Jacksonville and Oxford at a 13,000+ Sunday circulation newspaper.
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I additionally wrote about religion, education, municipal government, lifestyles and features, food and wine, entertainment, and development on an as-needed basis; compiled prep sports scores and information; and contributed to the company's Northeast Alabama Living magazine, writing in-depth profiles on local artists and business owners. Stories included, but weren’t limited to, a woman who created blown glass artwork out of her home, a woman who made handmade soaps out of her home, and a woman who created specialized cocktails modeled after SEC football teams to serve at tailgates.