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…
Category: Blogs
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.…
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.…
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…
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…
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,…