Cover Letter

Dear Mr. Buttry:

Jim Lehrer, an iconic journalist, said, “My own view, there is a need for and a demonstrated need for more journalism now than there ever has been.” My education and experience thus far have led me to recognize this necessity, and I look forward to contributing to the future of high quality journalism in its essential hour. I aim to follow the path laid out by ambitious and successful journalists before me. A position as social media producer for ABC7/NewsChannel8’s Metro Site would provide the opportunity to further develop my career in journalism and media, and open the doors to the networks with which I will build my future.

I will be graduating from the University of Michigan next month, with a B.A. in Communications Studies. The school focuses on developing journalistic and industry skill sets in the context of mass media and new communication technologies. The issues pertinent to journalism are shaped by material from these Communications course and from other supporting courses I have taken in both English and Political Science. In addition to these classes, I have gained experience as a staff writer for The Michigan Every Three Weekly. The Every Three Weekly is a satiric and hard-hitting university publication. Here, I have developed the skills necessary for stylistic journalism. Additionally, I am a senior writer for LEAD Magazine, a campus publication dedicated to student leadership and campus interest. In a new, innovative way, LEAD Magazine draws readers to both its Web site and print publication, for which I wrote the inaugural cover story. I have spent the past several years perfecting my writing skills, as well as my multimedia and journalistic capabilities, and a social media producer position would allow me to further embrace this potential.

I am a former editorial intern for MediaBistro.com, and currently work for this company as a freelance writer. It is here that I have gained professional skills that can be most useful as an employee at your reputable news organization. As an editorial intern, I compiled and maintained MediaBistro’s "Revolving Door" section, "How to Pitch" guide for freelancers, as well as several other editorial components of the popular Web site. My basic responsibilities included copy-editing, researching, fact checking, interviewing and coding. I also contributed content, attended and covered major media events, and worked closely with the company’s editorial team. Learning HTML and using this on a regular basis has allowed me to develop a skill essential to almost all forms of new media; a critical component of journalism in this era of Internet news coverage. In addition to my work at MediaBistro.com, I also worked as a production intern at Michigan Radio, a National Public Radio affiliate based in Ann Arbor. Here, I perfected my audio editing skills, pitched stories, booked interviews, and was a crucial component of the news process from pre-production to air. I also developed my multimedia credentials here, gaining additional experience with digital video and sound. I recently began reporting for Ann Arbor.com, where I have taken on a neighborhood beat and began producing multimedia packages on specific human interest pieces. This hyper local news organization is highly prominent in Ann Arbor, as it replaced the late Ann Arbor News, and is essentially an experiment in the new format of digital news media. It is my developed professional skill set and this wide-ranging journalism experience, which truly distinguishes me from other applicants.


With this experience and ambition to further pursue a career in journalism, I see your social media producer position as a great opportunity. I am available upon graduation in early May. Please inform me of the next step in the hiring process. I can be contacted by phone at (732) 580-5298 or via email at allisonstonegoldstein@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,


Allison Goldstein