Meredith W. Turk
meredithwturk.com |@murdithshewrote
847.571.6522 | meredith.turk@gmail.com | 

 

radio + video + photography + podcasts + public media event planning + investigative reporting + data reporting + information graphics + mapping + business + economy + environment + military + project management +strategic planning + social media + meeting facilitation + collaboration + marketing + campaign strategy  

PROFILE

Multimedia journalist with experience in data, investigative, environmental and economic reporting.  A trained anthropologist with an interest in the intersection of culture and economy.  Skilled in radio journalism, in print, photography, video production, and web graphics.  Proficient in data negotiation, data analysis and long-form writing.  Background in entrepreneurship, high-growth technology startups.  Experience in non-profit management and strategic planning. Extensive international work and living.  

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Finding America, Watertown, NY
November 2015 - September 2016

Lead Producer of Homefront: Fort Drum
homefrontfortdrum.org

I designed and won a prestigious grant from Association of Independents in Radio to create a unique mulit-platform project for North Country Public Radio. Homefront: Fort Drum tells stories of one the Army’s most deployed bases in the country. It also explores military life in the North Country. I successfully introduced a new population to public media through broadcasts, multimedia content, and engaging live events. Follow stories at #homefrontfortdrum and #FindingAmerica on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Scripps News, Washington, D.C.                                                                    
September 2014- present

Investigative Reporter

I am a member of a team, in conjunction with National Public Radio, working on a year-long investigation the intersection of hospitals and business. I conduct legal research, pursue story leads, and work with data sets related to our project.  I am skilled in using Lexis Nexis, CourtLink, PubMed, requesting public information, and working with large datasets. I also use the Bloombergfinancial terminal to research private equity and bond information for the story. 

 

CNN Investigations, Washington, D.C.                                                                              
Summer 2014 

Investigative Unit Intern

I worked on an award-winning Veterans Affairs investigation at CNN. Our unit broke some of the biggest stories on this topic over the summer of 2014. I dealt with follow-up of these stories and continuing the investigation of the VA. This involved working large databases of government contracts, talking to whistleblower sources, pitching enterprise stories, and helping to edit stories for air. I wrote cnn.com stories and helped with the entire range of editing packages. I also have helped on shoots in the field and filmed material used for air. 

 

KBIA 91.3 FM Columbia, MO                                                                            
Fall 2012 – Summer 2014

Advanced Reporter, Anchor and Editor
I spent two years working as an advanced reporter for a mid-Missouri NPR affiliate station.  I filed day-turn stories, longer features, and edited. I was regular contributor to a new environment desk at KBIA, for which I also helped develop a social media and community outreach strategy. I also contributed multi-media content such as videos and photos for web use.

 

Global Journalist Columbia, MO                                                                                         
2013

Producer
I served as a radio producer for a radio, television, and digital publication focusing on international freedom of press issues.  I helped research shows, find interviewees, develop website graphics and provide production assistance to radio and television production.  I produced web content for show about Ecuador’s repressive new media law, including Spanish translation and DocumentCloud to annotate important changes.

 

Coro Fellow in Public Affairs – St. Louis, MO
Fall 2007 – Spring 2008

Coro is a 9-month, post-graduate fellowship with an intensive hands-on training program teaching ethical leadership in public affairs. Fellowship includes field assignments, site visits, interviews, special individual and group projects and consultancies.
Examples: Great Rivers Greenway District – designed an economic impact study of greenways; St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association – created a proposal to the Missouri School of Journalism for a statewide website to connect Missouri researchers and their institutions.

 

The Folk School of St. Louis St. Louis, MO                                                                 
2010 - 2011

Board President
Led a strategic plan to save organization from closing, hiring of new director and reorganization of the board. 

 

EDUCATION

 

Missouri School of Journalism Columbia, MO                                                 
Expected 2015

Candidate for Master of Arts in Journalism
Concentration on international, investigative and multimedia reporting.

Northwestern University Evanston, IL                                                                       
Spring 2007

Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology
Undergraduate Research Grant to study tourism in New Orleans post-Katrina, Summer 2006.

School for International Training Ghana                                                                                    
Fall 2005

Independent Student Researcher
Collected oral histories from a village in Northern Ghana, with a focus on indigenous technology and history of slavery.

 

 

AWARDS

2015 White House Correspondents Association Scholarship

2013 Associated Press Sports Editors Multimedia Award (Rodeo Queen Rides Again, Columbia Missourian)

2013 Missouri Press Association award for best reporting in rural Missouri

Fulbright Student Slovenia                                                                   
Fall 2011 – Summer 2012
Researched and conducted radio interviews of apiculture traditions in Slovenia.

German Embassy Young Journalists Program Germany                                
Fall 2012, Summer 2013

Waller Fellowship in Investigative Reporting, Investigative Reporters and Editors
Winter 2014
Received a fellowship to work on an investigative series about a corrupt gold mining project in Romania.

 

SKILLS

Language:  Intermediate Spanish, Intermediate Slovene

Technology: , HTML, Microsoft Office, Excel, ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Suite, campaign mailing, video and audio production (Audacity, Hindenburg, Avid, iNews, Final Cut Pro, Premier Pro), SQL, Python, Bloomberg terminal, Document Cloud, Social Media.

Equipment: Nikon D610, 18-70 mm 1.8 lens, Rode mic, lav mic, Senheisser MKH16 shot gun, Tascam DR100-MKIII recorder.

Skills: Database analysis, FOIA and Sunshine request, grant writing, meeting facilitation, strategic planning

Travel: Western and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East (Israel, Palestine), Africa (Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, South Africa), India, South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia)