Looking backwards, my path to PIN makes perfect sense, though I never would’ve predicted it.
An interest in storytelling and music led me to anthropology at Tufts. A failed PhD application led me to public radio. Which led me to producing at WGBH and The World. Which led me to MIT to retool. Which prepared me for a job that didn’t exist, taught me that online media at its best is engaged media, and gave me new tools with which to problem-solve in newsrooms. And that led me to PIN. My goals: to advance the future of public media, improve engagement tools for journalism, and raise the bar for how people engage with the news -- and each other.
Since 2005, I've worked with a passionate team to create the Public Insight Network. I’m honored that more than 140,000 people have decided to help make news better through our platform, and amazed every day by our network of newsrooms and journalists who work together, share ideas, critique and give feedback on each other’s work – who have become a real collaborative community.
In my work I engage the PIN for national coverage, grow the source base, lead collaboration, innovate around the toolset, embed empathy in PIN technology and newsrooms, and spread the gospel.
As partners manager I lead our training and support team. This means I ensure that partner journalists learn best practices and deploy PIN effectively, recruit and onboard new news organizations, represent users in our tools development process, lead evaluation efforts, and develop academic partnerships and course modules.
I grew up in midcoast Maine, lived in the Boston area for 10 years, live in Long Beach CA now, and visit anywhere above 41º N as often as I can. I dabble in ceramics, and you can find me @jo_in_la.
