West Coast Media Jobs - 7/22/20

Q&A with editor & writer Jamie Primeau, plus open roles at Meredith Corporation, KSBW & more!

Jul 22, 2020

Hey everyone,

Starting off this week with a Q&A with my former boss, Jamie Primeau! We worked together at Bustle for many years and, before that, she worked at Seventeen and Scholastic. Jamie’s bylines have also appeared on Today.com, Cosmopolitan, and Metro New York.

Now, she’s an editor and writer at Nicki Swift, a website we’ve listed several jobs from in the past. Please note that Jamie isn’t a hiring manager there and doesn’t set freelance rates, but she is a wonderful editor and an even better friend. (She also has the best ice cream recommendations!)

Read on for more about Jamie’s journey, her advice for journalists during this pandemic, and her favorite Summer 2020 ice cream.

Q&A With Jamie Primeau, an Editor & Writer at Nicki Swift

For those who aren't familiar with the site, what is unique about how Nicki Swift covers celeb news?

I'm going to pull the answer directly from our site, since I truly think this sums it up best: "Plenty of entertainment news brands tackle Hollywood, but Nicki Swift stands apart in style and smarts. Spending time with us is like hanging out with friends who keep the conversation clever, quick, and classy. We dish out the news on all your favorite celebs, add expert analysis, then move on to the next hot topic, all without breaking a sweat."

What was your path like from college leading up to now?

Oh gosh, my path has included a range of different jobs, but almost all centered on a love of words and storytelling! My first post-college job was at Seventeen (where I'd interned twice), selling ads for their prom issue. I adored the magazine, but also quickly learned cold-calling was not my strong suit. Then I spent time at a Scholastic teen health magazine, where I was an EA and then an Assistant Editor.

Around that same time, I began writing for Bustle on the side, which eventually led to several editing roles on their Entertainment team. Now, I'm at Nicki Swift, covering celebrity news. I also spent time as a freelance writer in-between some of those jobs, learning how to tell stories for a variety of publications, including TODAY.com, Cosmopolitan.com, and Metro New York.

What advice do you have for journalists whose careers are currently on pause due to the pandemic?

Admittedly, I loved everything that Jada Gomez wrote a few weeks back for this same newsletter. (Seriously, go read what she said!). But if trying to keep it original, I'd say take this time to reevaluate what you really want—what will truly make you happy in your career—and set concrete action steps to work towards that vision.

Granted, job listings are far and few between right now, but that doesn't mean you can't set intentions or hone your skills in the meantime. Plus, I think the most important thing is being kind to yourself! Even though it's great to set goals and dream big, being flexible and patient is key when so much is outside of our control right now. And that's perfectly okay -- to be cheesy and quote the Lizzie McGuire theme song, "We'll figure it out on the way."

You're the most knowledgeable ice cream connoisseur I know. What do you think is the must-try ice cream of the summer?

One of my all-time favorite ice cream companies is Ample Hills Creamery (I even worked there as a scooper a few summers ago!), but they recently underwent a change in owners and promise to be re-opening soon. Although I'm a bit sad that they've cut ties with the original owners, I'm very curious and excited to see what comes next!

In the meantime, I'm a big fan of Van Leeuwen ice cream -- they have a location near me in Brooklyn and serve a range of tasty flavors, including plenty of vegan options. They also teamed up with an Instagram account called @IceCreamForChange to "raise money to support organizations that work to dismantle systemic racism" on National Ice Cream Day (7/19). Ice cream with a side of social justice? Yes, please!

Follow Jamie Primeau on Twitter: @JamiePrimeau.

July’s Gig Seekers Thread is still going strong. If you’re looking for a job, leave a comment about what you’re looking for—you don’t need to be a subscriber or based on the West Coast to participate.

If you’re a hiring manager, check out these talented journalists!

From LA Times Guild: Latino journalists at the L.A. Times pen open letter for better newsroom representation
From the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: COVID-19 is hurting journalists’ mental health. News outlets should help them now
From the New York Times: When John Lewis Cosplayed at Comic-Con as His Younger Self
From Poynter: It’s everyone’s job to influence hiring, retention and promotion
From Study Hall: List of publications that are/are not accepting freelance pitches. This is an essential link for freelancing right now.
Free webinars/programs: Poynter is holding a free webinar on Make Design More Inclusive: Defeat Unconscious Bias in Visuals on July 22, and one on Writing About the World in 2020: Dignity and Precision in Language on July 29; The Self-Investigation is a weekly stress-management program for journalists throughout July
Grants to aid freelancers during COVID-19: ICYMI, I’ve got a Twitter thread compiling them — I’m still adding to the thread as I find more.
Instagram: West Coast Media Jobs is now on Instagram! You can follow it here.
For levity: The @NBABubbleLife Twitter compiles posts from inside the NBA bubble; I also finally downloaded TikTok last weekend and here are some of my favorite TikTok cats.

Reminder: Due to the lack of journalism jobs out there, I’ve been included some copywriting, social media marketing, and internal comms jobs to give you the best chance at landing a role.

Orange County Area

Global Eagle, Editorial Coordinator

Los Angeles Area

Meredith Corporation, Associate Producer
CNN, Senior Editor, Race
LA Times, Audience Engagement Editor, Editorial Writer, Deputy Business Editor, Senior Editor for Talent and Culture and Deputy Editor, Data and Graphics
Southern California Public Radio, Apprentice News Clerk
Ellen Digital Ventures, Digital Editorial Assistant
The Walt Disney Company, Web Producer, D23
NBCLA.com/Telemundo52.com, Freelance Digitial News Producer
Wondery, Content Producer
Avaya, Marketing Writer

Riverside Area

The Press-Enterprise, Reporter

Santa Barbara Area

Santa Barbara News-Press, Reporter

San Francisco Bay Area

Apple, Writing Manager and Copywriter/Copy Editor
SFGate/San Fransisco Chronicle, Associate Editor, Deputy Managing Editor, Social Media/Newsletter Producer, and Copy Editor (More info on these roles from @Grant_Marek on Twitter)
Electronic Arts, Broadcast Production Manager, Sims (Contract)
The Center for Investigative Reporting, Production Manager/Assistant Engineer
KSBW TV, Associate Producer (part-time)
Apex Systems, Technical Writer
Aha!, Senior Writer
Crunchyroll, Senior Manager, Editorial & News
Cityside, Vice President, Development

Weaverville, California

The Trinity Journal, Managing Editor

Albany, Oregon

Mid-Valley Media, Local News Reporter

Fellowships/Grants

Google News Initiative, Fellowship (applications due 8/1)
LION Publishers, Apply to Google News Initiative Startups Lab Boot Camp (apply by 8/17)
SEJ, Fund for Environmental Journalism grants (rolling deadline)

Support This Newsletter!

Send along jobs and feedback to hello(at)westcoastmediajobs.com or use this contact form. You can also tag @MalloryCarra & @WestMediaJobs to flag any relevant jobs on Twitter.

Until next week! Stay safe.