Read This Before Accusing a Writer of Using AI
The advent of Chat GPT, Bard, and a litany of other AI writing tools has brought the world into an exciting yet uncomfortable…
Author: Jennifer Hardy
I'm a dog-loving, yoga-doing, boxing-southpaw, news-obsessed, journalist-eternal woman who's got wanderlust and curiosity about the world and everything I see.
Leaving Local News: Is The Grass Greener?
One year ago, I made the biggest decisions of my life. I left local news. It wasn’t a long nagging feeling I debated…
The Two-Faced Television Anchor and How She Can Help You
“I always had two faces,” she tells me as we banter about her new side hustle. Elizabeth Schrack, or Elizabeth Watts, as I…
Mega Millions Mayhem: Do You Really Want to Win?
I’ll admit, I’ve never been one to chase a lottery jackpot. Sure, I’m not above buying a ticket if the jackpot was high…
Ignorance or Insult and Does It Matter?
I’ve got a thick skin and I’ve learned to stop saying “I’ve seen it all” because I’ve seen too much in my years…
WARNING: You’ll Never Sign a Card at Work the Same Again After This
The tradition of passing a card around the office is as timeless as the watercooler itself. It might be a birthday card, new…
Are You Recruiting or Job Searching on TikTok? You should be.
Let’s add another thing to do in the jungle of job searching. On top of the resume perfection, eternal “Do I need a…
Apartment Rent is the Latest Challenge in Employee Retention
Hiring managers, bosses, bean counters – listen up. When your potential new employee looks up “Apartments near me” on Google, or when your…
Scammers Striking a New Chord with Piano Scam
I’m quite the fan of the scams that make it into my spam folder. I could be richer than Elon Musk if I…
What You Need to Know: Freshpet Food Recall Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
If you ever doubted the fear a pet food recall puts into human owners, as I write this the Freshpet food recall website…
Why a Journalist Could Be the Best Freelance Hire You’ll Ever Make
Local news is losing workers faster than you can say “Breaking News Right Now.” I won’t call people like me former journalists because…
Pros & Cons of Hiring an Independent Freelance Writer
Freelancer writer and freelance writing jobs are a dime a dozen. Should you use an independent freelance hire instead of established freelance platforms?…
All Reporters Should Be Doing This With Their Reel
For a budding on-air journalist, the reel is what matters most, if not a LOT when it comes to looking for a job.…
Why Easter Isn’t a Federal Holiday
Easter isn’t just a holiDAY, it’s a series of days leading up to Easter Sunday. Growing up Lutheran, Palm Sunday started a week…
The Tails Have Turned: Lessons from “Rescued by Ruby”
I want to binge the new season of Bridgerton as much as the next person this weekend, but there’s a “diamond” of the…
A PR PSA: Stop pitching products or services; Pitch stories
It amazing how PR and media coverage go hand in hand, yet they speak completely different languages. However, the local news language must…
A Travel Writer’s Advice for Real Estate Agents on YouTube
I’ve now written hundreds of travel articles for various cities around this great country. As part of my research, I watch YouTube channels…
What Volodymyr Zelenskyy Is Teaching Us About Leadership
Americans are in love with Ukraine’s President right now as he fights with his people, exuding leadership among his masses and not above…
For Green Journalists Who Don’t Know What’s REALLY Going On In Ukraine
It’s okay if you don’t get it. If it feels overwhelming. It feels a world away. If you’re young or disconnected from international…
The Wordle Wonder: Can We Finally Admit Failure on Social Media?
I don’t play Wordle, and I have no intention to, which is probably why it was so annoying that everyone started cluttering up…
Reference Checks that Could Make or Break You
“Call me.” The two words that say so much more when someone reaches out to you for a reference check. “Call me” means…
Life Lessons: Be an Advocate for Your Health
I’m no doctor, but I knew something was very wrong. The more doctors I saw, the more I knew something was very wrong…
A Social Media Platform Focused on Learning, Not Entertainment
It takes an amazing person to have a vision for something that cannot be seen. The idea could educate and innovate the way the world…
Taking Care of Yourself: 5 Things I Wish I Had Done
My greatest fear in life has always been getting old. While I respect it’s something not everyone gets the luxury of doing, I…
The 8 Types of People Who Work at Nail Salons
I’ve been getting my nails done since I was 15 years old. What started as one nail session for big a date turned…
Vacation Guilt and What to Do About It
One of the main questions we ask when we get a new job is about the benefits and how much vacation/personal/PTO time we…
Let Me Out So I Can Come Back In Again
The quote generally used to explain the odd behavior of dogs who scratch at the door to go out, only to take a…
5 Things to Do in 2022 to Be a Better Person
We all have times to look back on and reflect that we weren’t the best version of ourselves. We paint a picture on…
Road Etiquette: Things that Drive You Crazy
“Where did you people learn to drive?” I’ve said that a million or more times on the road. I am an unofficial road…
What Is Green Monday and Why Does it Matter to You?
You’ve heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday – but what’s with this Green Monday? It might just…
For the Love of Target and Things You Don’t Need
There’s something magical about walking into Target for many of us. It’s a place to get what you need and revel in the…
Things You Must Have from Trader Joe’s Right Now
This is in no way sponsored by Trader Joe’s because they don’t love me with the intensity I love them, but I’m used…
3 Ways to Know You Didn’t Get the Job
I’ve been on both sides of the job interview for decades. I’ve hired more than I’ve been hired, which might help my Spidey…
Top 5 Fast Facts about Road Trip Curiosities
A road trip is a time to pack up the car and family (and maybe the dogs) and hit the open road. Whether…
Delivery details every shopper and customer should know
From March 2020 through October 2021, I didn’t set foot in a restaurant and rarely went to the grocery store. I had everything…
The Funniest (and not so funny) Holiday Stories
My life has inherent humor and irony built-in. I think it’s because God knew I was going to be a sensitive soul with…
Working the Holidays in Local News
It’s that time of year. Deck the halls and jingle bells and holiday schedules and the news goes on and who had to…
LOCAL NEWS CONTRACTS: Break it? Or Grin & Bear It
Let me say first of all I am not an attorney. Any legal decision you make should go through an attorney. Always. I…
The Work You Do In Between Jobs
There are many people in local news right considering making a jump out of a job with no parachute or backup plan. This…
SICK DAYS: Guilt or a Given? The Gray Areas
There are generally two kinds of workers when it comes to sick leave. Those who use it only when they are seriously ill…
Before You Buy: Things that Seem Like Good Presents but Might Not Be
It’s November 1 and that means I can talk about Christmas and shopping and decorations! In another “Unprecedented Event” checkbox we are hitting,…
Let’s Talk About Local News Pay
It’s the solid-gold elephant in the room for many journalists. The money “sucks”. Sometimes it’s unlivable, especially in those starter markets. I made…
A Local Journalist Explains How To Get Media Coverage
As I work in between jobs now and explore the world of options ahead of me, I am looking at all kinds of…
How to Handle a Job You (Think You) Hate
There are many posts out there about the Great Resignation, Extinction Alerts, and even articles I’ve written myself about the challenges in local…
Do You Owe Someone An Apology?
Saying “Sorry” is hard for many people to do. It’s even harder for people to actually apologize without defending their reason for the…
Pause Before Posting: How Social Media Posts Can Ruin You
I watched last night as a trend started on Twitter of “Trauma Dump“. The Investigative Journalist in me kicked in and I dug.…
Personal Space Issues: 6 Feet Away Is Just Normal For Us
I’ve had personal space issues as long as I can remember. Where most people find solace in a hug, it gives me anxiety…
HUSTLE CULTURE: Working Yourself To Death
I’ll admit. I had to wait a while to write this article to emotionally distance myself from it, dig into it, and evaluate…
Ways to Cope With Losing a Beloved Pet
This is an article you’ll need some tissues for because there’s no way to remember losing a pet without a few tears. You’ve…
Where Are All The Executive News Producers?
Everyone who has experience in a newsroom should read this. Not just managers or producers. When I initially wrote this, I was in…
THE PRODUCER SURVEY: The Backbone of the Newsroom Speaks Up
Now the producers get to sound off about success, struggles, and other stuff when it comes to their role in local news organizations.…
In Case You Are Thinking About Getting A New Puppy
This article will either talk you into getting a puppy, or talk you out of it. It’s all about what way you need…
PRODUCING: Love at First Booth
As a child, I went through many things I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be an actress so…
A News Director’s Advice on Job Searching and Applying
Send your resume named with your full name. Instead of “Updated Jennifer Resume” put Jennifer Hardy Resume. For the most part, we have…
Why I Think News Producing is the Best Job Ever!
Wikipedia defines a news producer as “..one of the most integral members of any news-production team. The news producer takes all the elements…
The Overnight Shift: It’s Not All Grave News
Working overnights, it’s not for the faint of heart. Few people say “I want to work overnight while the rest of the world…
JOB SEARCH: To Text or Not To Text
Much of communication in 2021 is done via text or group chats. It’s become a normal way to communicate and as one Millennial…
PITCH PERFECT: How to pitch news story ideas in a news meeting
There’s a scene in the 1996 movie “Up Close & Personal” that shows a typical newsroom editorial meeting. I won’t get into all…
JOB SEARCH: Take The Damn Call
It’s that time of year recent graduates are looking for jobs. Coming off the COVID Pandemic, travel has been few and far between,…
Reel Answers from Real News Directors
“Can you take a look at my reel?”, budding and experienced journalists ask News Directors, colleagues, and friends all the time. If I…
The Great Time Debate: Am I Working Right Now?
It’s hard as a journalist to “turn it off”. You are your own personal scanner, investigator, and caretaker of story ideas no matter…
CELEBRATING SUCCES: Hiring With Your Gut
Anyone who works in news at some point had to cross an important threshold – someone had to take a chance on them.…
So You Got A Job Offer, Not What?
I’ve had the pleasure of talking with a lot of budding journalists, meteorologists, and sports anchors lately as I continue my work to…
What Does Toxic Newsroom” Really Mean?
“That person is so toxic.” “This place is a toxic dump, why can’t we get more stuff/people/things?” “I got in trouble, again. What…
Local Weather: Come Hell or High Water
Weather. It impacts everything we do or don’t do on a given day. If there’s one piece of information we need above and…
The Most Embarrassing Moment of My Life
I’m inspired to write today after reading a comment in a Facebook Group. It’s a group for Nebraska moms. Now, I am unfortunately…
Having Tough Talks: You Have To Resolve Conflict
“I’m not going to say that word.” I was defiant, even at age 8. I knew what words were okay to say and…
You Want Fries With That Viral Story?
It was Saturday morning, and I’d gotten about 2 hours of sleep. We had storms sweep through our market overnight, and while there…
THE FASCINATION OF WATCHING BAD THINGS HAPPEN
I remember being in a small boat packed with probably too many people, as we moved slowly through the river water. It could…
Finding story ideas: Peel the Onion
I’ve written before about how to pitch a story, develop sources, and what not to do in editorial meetings. However, it does all start…
FOR THE LOVE OF WORDS (and video and sound)
I’ve always loved writing. Even when I was little, I would write stories and even crafted my own musical to perform in front…
What Is Burnout?
“I’m SO burned out!”. You’ve seen it, thought it, listened to it, tweeted about it, posted an Instagram picture detailing it, TikTok danced…
LIVING THE BRAND
I am the kind of person who, for fun, will do things like reading the National Retail Federation website looking for story ideas.…
How Could Someone Be So Mean To Mrs. Nichols?
I said those words through sobbing tears, the kind that makes it hard to catch your breath, as I sat in the back…
Healing in a Post 9/11 World
My Grandfather on my mom’s side was a firefighter his entire life. He lived in a “village” called Ladue, a St. Louis suburb.…
Wanderlust & Loss
UP IN FLAMES: A Reminder to Enjoy the View As I write this, I’m watching part of my adult life literally go up…
Momma Says
“I ALWAYS LISTEN TO MY MOMMY” A young, masked boy’s school photo is as viral as viral gets. This isn’t about a mask…
THE BEST FRIEND WE ALL NEED AND THE “INSIDE JOKES”
Best friends and inside jokes go hand in hand, and everyone needs a Stanford in their life. RIP Willie Garson. You’ll always be fabulous to us!
TALKING TRASH: The person who makes you feel awful about yourself
Please read this all the way through. Too many people don’t and there’s a damn good point coming up! HINT: It’s YOU! We’ve…
“THAT’S JUST MY FACE”
For as long as I can remember, at random times people would come up to me and say, “Are you okay?”. Puzzled, I’d say “Yes,…
“I Get My News On TikTok”: The Trend Local News Can’t Ignore
This is Part 1 in a series of articles I’m working on to look at the fast-growing trend of people who say they…
IF YOU’RE NOT HOLIDAY SHOPPING NOW, YOU MIGHT GET SCROOGED
I inherited a great trait from my mother. I Christmas shop all year long. Little by little, a closet grows from empty to…