Journalist                                      

KEY POINTS

 

Currently residiung in Austin, Texas

Formerly lived in Pacific Grove, CA

oscargonzalezjr2@gmail.com

956-874-7805

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                                        • 20-plus years as a print/online journalist (including high school)

                                        • Worked up from freelance writer to sports editor in a matter of years at a

                                        50,000 daily circulation newspaper.

                                        • Won awards as a writer, designer, editor and project manager

• Catapulted The Monitor’s Facebook and Twitter pages when the concept

was new to other media

• Designed the seasonal RGVSports.com The Magazine

                                        • Designed an e-book:

                                        https://www.scribd.com/doc/189414083/Creature-Feature

                                        • Speaks English and Spanish

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                                                        EXPERIENCE

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June 2014-Dec. 2014         Freelance writer, designer

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Sept. 2013–June 2014       Special Projects Editor       

                                        The Monitor/AIM Media Texas, McAllen, TX

Charged with planning special sections, promotions, previews in broadsheet, tab or pony tab products. Current projects included preparing, organizing and designing a weekly San Antonio Spurs doubletruck, a weekly four-plus page Winter Texan section, designing a four-page special promotional that targets non-subscribers, a daily “slice of life” page that included business, food, lifestyle, community, entertainment and other subjects.

 

Also work on one-time special sections such as this year’s JFK 50th anniversary commemorative tabloid. I coordinate with the metro, features, copy, photo, sports, graphics and web desks to accomplish each project.

I consider this position crucial in that it’s look and execution of assets (stories, graphics, photos, information, etc.) is pivotal in generating advertising sales.

 

Dec. 2010–2013                 Director of Visual Content and Operations, Sports and New Media             

                                        The Monitor/AIM Media Texas, McAllen, TX

Directly managed a staff of up to 35 associates working on the metro desk, copy editing/design desk, graphics desk, features department, photo department, sports department, online department and front desk. Duties include daily and long-term planning, spearheading the direction of the company’s constantly evolving website, print products (daily newspaper, three seasonal magazines, several special editions and a email newsletter among other duties.

• Oversaw and managed the online team’s development of strategies and ideas to increase page views and unique users. At one time our home site was the most viewed in the competing area. 
   

• Embraced all forms of social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram) using it to brand our products and ancillary products developed by Freedom Communications and now AIM Media Texas.  
   

• Helped partner with local television, radio and print media to help market our sports product and keeping costs down in the process. Designed the first magazine in the company’s history in the Valley (RGVSports.com The Magazine), and also led the way with one other (RGVMoms Magazine) and assisted with another (RGV Outdoors). My involvement included designing, writing content and editing the material. RGVSports.com The Magazine, along with the other magazines, produced $340,000 additional revenue for the company in one calendar year.
   

• Was a key cog in redesigning The Monitor’s print edition.

 

Aug. 2007–Dec. 2010     Presentation Editor, The Monitor

Directly managed a staff of 8 in the page design and graphic arts departments.

• Helped make sure our new redesign was followed, and no short cuts were taken. Made sure overall page design was worthy of printing (making sure fonts were right, photos were given the right play, etc.).

• Became involved in our online product, overseeing the online editor and videographer. Helped create online-only concepts, and helped push our product through social media (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace).

 

June 2001–Aug. 2007     Sports Editor, The Monitor

Planned and coordinated coverage in print and online for a staff of six. Continued career as an award-winning writer through articles, columns and marketing collateral while providing critical staff leadership as an editor.

 

I oversaw a staff of five, not including freelancers, that covered high school football with vigor, as well as other high school sports, a minor league baseball team, a minor league hockey team, a local Division I athletic program, various boxing events and special exhibition games.

 

At least when it comes to this neck of the woods in Texas, I helped begin the digital revolution, as we began posting first only before the 21st century, and later introduced Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent, Spotify, and other social mediums.

 

June 1999–June 2001    Deputy Sports Editor, The Monitor

Directed coverage for the sports staff, which included all special sections, and created a more streamlined manner in which our day-to-day operations worked. I oversaw a full-time staff of four, along with any freelancers.

 

June. 1997–June. 1999  Staff Writer, The Monitor

Produced in-depth stories and features for the sports staff. Covered Division I Texas-Pan American basketball and baseball, along with high school sports.

 

                                                                                           AWARDS

Members of the metro, graphic, copy desk, photo, features and online staff have received numerous honors from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ over the past few years for work done under my guidance, including:

• 2011 Texas APME: Newspaper of the Year.

• 2011 Texas APME: Best Website, honorable mention

• 2010 Southwest APSE: First place, Enterprise/Projects; first place, Section Front; second place, Event Writing; third place, Feature Writing.

• 2010 Texas APME: Second place, Best Blog; honorable mention, Sports Feature.

• 2008 Best Front Page Design: First place, newspaper cover design

• 2007 Lone Star Awards: First and second place, Sports Story.

• 2007 Texas APME: Second place, Spot Sports.

• 2003 Texas APME: Third place, Series of Feature Stories

• 2001 SCPA: Third place, Series of Feature Stories

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                                                                                         EDUCATION

                                        University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas.

                                        Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Mich.

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                                                                             COMPUTER/WEB SKILLS

Proficient with InDesign, QuarkXPress and Photoshop, plus On-Set and TownNews (content management systems), SiteCatalyst, social media, blogging, UPickem’, Falcon, ACT, Microsoft Word, PDF, Excel.

Utilized social media (Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, Instagram, etc., since 2008)

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