kjohnson

I was born in raised in St. Louis, MO, known to many as the Gateway to the West. A product of public schools both in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, I graduated from Saint Louis University in May of 2010, with a Degree in Communication and minor in Creative and Professional Writing.

I’ve always had a passion to give readers and viewers an insight into their communities and honed those skills while in college, and eagerly awaits new challenges in the rapidly changing landscape of journalism and new media. I embrace new ways to connect with the audience and make online, print, and broadcast news a two-way medium.

I’m currently working as freelance writer with the Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch and University City Patch, both operated by AOL. I plan to relocate to the New York metropolitan area to pursue new opportunities in journalism and new media this summer.

While at Saint Louis University, I was the News Director and Managing editor for SLU News 22, the campus cable newscast, where I produced and directed the twice-weekly newscasts in my last year. Before becoming the news director, I started at the ground floor as reporter in my first year, contributing several reports, and was a contributing writer, editor, and producer.

Additionally, I was a weekly contributor the the campus newspaper, the University News, where I lent my skills as reporter and editor.

In my college years and my professional career, I have amassed a wide-ranging skill set that is valuable to today’s newsrooms, using social media on daily basis, tweeting and retweeting information on several topics throughout the day, and opening dialog to viewers, and readers.

I have interviewed people ranging from world-known personal safety expert Nancy Hightshoe, to political analyst Paul Begala, to TV personality Bill Nye (The Science Guy) to social activist and professor Dr. Cornel West.