Jacob Baumgart Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Annapolis, Maryland, United States

- Wrote 2,500 hyperlocal articles while shooting original photographs on tight deadlines, coveringgovernment investigations, business feature stories, human interest stories and public safety news.- Tracks SEO and audience engagement metrics to generate 425,000 monthly page views, manage socialmedia accounts with 60,000 followers and send daily newsletters to 31,000 subscribers.- Recognized by the Maryland Delaware and DC Press Association with four first-place prizes and onesecond-place honor for excellence in journalism.- Supported two website overhauls to improve readability, user experience and profitability.Patch readers want to know what’s going on in town. My job is to tell them what restaurants are opening, what’s happening with school redistricting and who’s running for County Council. I write about five stories per day on all things Anne Arundel County.Covering so much ground has made me a well-rounded reporter. I’m just as comfortable with a government investigation as I am with a nonprofit feature story or breaking police news.I have written more than 2,500 hyperlocal articles at Patch and used search engine optimization to generate 425,000 monthly page views. I also manage social media accounts with 60,000 followers and send daily newsletters to 31,000 subscribers. My email click-through rate hovers around 6%, which is more than a percentage point above the industry average. Tracking these audience engagement metrics helps make future editorial decisions.Some of my favorite Patch stories are my military sexual assault investigation and my coverage of a secret skatepark fueled by land usage debates and environmental contamination.The Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association has recognized my work with four first-place prizes and one second-place honor. My award-winning stories include a profile of an Olympic windsurfer and my spotlight on a Holocaust survivor.

Newark, Delaware, United States

- Led the college newspaper’s diverse staff of 40 members, demonstrating strong team management,interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills.- Successfully transitioned the weekly newspaper to a daily, online-only publication on the fly during theCOVID-19 pandemic to adapt to the immediacy of the news cycle.- Orchestrated The Green Issue, a special publication evaluating university environmental policies andholding leaders accountable for failed promises.- Collaborated with reporters to investigate community effects of university policy changes, emphasizinga commitment to impactful journalism. The Review is the independent student newspaper at the University of Delaware. I modernized the organization in my elected role. I pitched with staffers, coordinated between sections, edited stories, checked the print product and built a family atmosphere among our team of 40. Our biggest challenge was an overreliance on the print schedule. As a weekly publication, reporters wrote stories late in the week for weekend editing and early-week printing. That meant we posted on Sunday and Monday, leaving our site stagnant most of the week. I analyzed our data and found that our traffic spiked between Sunday and Tuesday and plummeted when we stopped posting content. To fix this trend, I staggered deadlines and Facebook posts. This improved our midweek traffic and taught reporters a digital-first approach. Another obstacle was expanding our staff. A chunk of our group graduated the year prior, leaving us with small culture, sports, visual and copy desks. I reached out to every possible university department to recruit new members. We held interest meetings and revamped the development officer position to stock up on fresh talent. With a replenished team, we tackled the semesterly special issues. I led “The Green Issue,” covering the culture and science of environmentalism, and “The Coronavirus Issue,” responding to the first weeks of the pandemic.

Newark, Delaware

- Planned, edited well-rounded coverage in news section.- Fleshed out pitches, visuals with reporters.- Edited, posted stories to website.- Covered legislative beat.After 1.5 years as a reporter, I was promoted to associate news editor. My main duty was helping staffers source and research their stories. I then edited their drafts before turning them over to the managing news editor. Once articles passed through the chain, I published them on our website via WordPress. Along with editing, I staffed the legislative beat. I followed the city council election, scoring exclusive interviews with mayoral candidates and covering local debates. I also examined anti-abortion bills proposed in the state legislature. A feature story about the largest fundraiser on campus rounded out my reporting.

Newark, Delaware

- Pitched, wrote weekly reports using investigative strategies.- Evaluated political, economic trends.- Quickly responded to breaking news. - Dove into scientific research.With a year under my belt, I made the jump to senior reporter. I covered state and local politics, reporting on the 2018 midterm election and Newark's economy. I also took the increased content requirement as a chance to publish my first video, which I shot and edited myself, in "Two students injured in Drake Hall incident." This article and "White nationalist campaign brings racially motivated messages to campus" taught me how to cover breaking news with tight deadlines.The additional experience led me to creative content in "Freshman drinking habits: What they say versus what science says." This research-driven narrative was part of The Review's "Drunk Issue," a special publication that explored the university's drinking culture. Stories like this taught me to integrate national trends and scientific research into my analyses of local issues.

Newark, Delaware

- Served general assignment role while investigating long-term project.- Examined value of campus security systems.- Followed workings of university administration.- Learned how to develop pitches.My time at The Review started in the news and investigative sections. I examined safety measures on campus and explored the faculty's legislative body. Mentors helped me develop a source network and learn how to research public records.This position honed my reporting skills. I learned how to collaborate with editors, find pitches in a new town and write on deadline. These essentials became the building blocks for my future growth.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

- Leveraged social media analysis to cover the Phillie Phanatic mascot redesign, leading to a feature onHBO's "Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver.- Investigated local perspectives on national narratives, including a small-town mayor searching for anorgan donor in a crowded patient pool.- Provided high-impact journalism under deadline pressure as part of Team Now, the newspaper’sbreaking news desk.- Conducted in-depth research, wrote informative explainers and simplified complex city operations. The Philadelphia Inquirer taught me to cover the news of the day quickly and efficiently. I wrote for the Now Team, the breaking news desk for developing and trending stories. My timely coverage of a mascot drew national interest. The Philly Phanatic is the spirit animal of the Philadelphia Phillies. In spring 2020, the team was in a court battle with the mascot's creator. The Phillies made small changes to the Phanatic, hoping to avoid copyright violations. These switches upset a vocal fanbase. I wrote about the ensuing reactions. "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," a national TV talk show, picked up the story and cited my coverage. Another trending story led me to a small-town mayor who struggled to find a kidney donor. It can take years to locate a match, so the mayor's family got creative. They posted a billboard to recruit potential donors. The mayor eventually found an unlikely match: A lifelong friend. This tale weaves through gut-wrenching pain, medical troubles and heart-warming emotions.The coronavirus pandemic sadly cut my internship short, but it inspired one of my most important articles. As the U.S. registered its first cases, I looked into how the disease would affect religious services. These events rely on close quarters, frequent touching and holy travel. The virus threatened these sacred traditions. My coverage examined these facets in the early days of the pandemic, landing the story on the front page of the digital lifestyle section.

Newark, Delaware

- Taught clients how to write, deliver speeches.- Applied speech-writing principles to tutor students.- Used everyday language to explain public speaking research. - Promoted Writing Center through social media, class visits. An oral communication consultant is essentially a public speaking tutor. I spent a semester studying speech-writing research, which led me to a job at the Writing Center at the University of Delaware. I translated that scholarly advice into tangible tips for my clients. We worked on sourcing, preparing and delivering speeches. We even battled stage fright. When I wasn’t with a student, I promoted the Writing Center through social media campaigns and class visits.

Newark, Delaware

- Helped honors students adjust to first year of college.- Resided in first-year dormitory, mentored students.- Advised students through academic, social challenges of freshman year.- Planned, hosted events to build community. A Munson fellow is a mentor for first-year, honors students at The University of Delaware. Living in their residence hall, I was the go-to resource for about 40 students. I spent my days creating academic plans, explaining honors requirements and offering mental health support. When somebody had a question about university life, it was my job to know the answer. Alongside the one-on-one work with each student, I planned social events for the whole floor. These ranged from talent shows to de-stressors during finals week to random appreciation nights. I also organized get-togethers open to residents from the entire building. These included dinner discussions with faculty members and roommate competitions. Through my academic and social work, I tried to make it as easy as possible to transition into college.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States

- Uncovered a $4 million landfill operator bribe to a civic association, highlighting investigative skills.- Blended impartial political reporting with feature-style storytelling on contentious topics like gun control legislation, showcasing editorial versatility.- Tracked timely state government legislation, meeting tight deadlines in a fast-paced news environment.- Covered breaking news on crime, investigated day-two victim profiles and calls for action while teaming with photographers and videographers to create multimedia journalism with long engagement times.The News Journal made me an inquisitive reporter. One of my most intense responsibilities was covering Delaware's legislative session. I teamed with the legislative reporter to track a high-profile gun control bill. With the Democrats controlling the State House, the party promised swift gun reform. A small but mighty gun lobbyist threw a wrench in those plans, however. My partner and I fused in-depth political reporting with a compelling narrative to explain why the Democrats couldn't live up to their promise.I later staffed the police desk after our crime reporter was promoted. I tracked police scanners to break the news of a construction worker shot on the job. I posted the blurb within minutes. Another reporter went to the scene and relayed details to add to our story. Our timely coverage garnered more than 70,000 views, making it the second most-read story of the week. I followed up with day-two and day-three updates by interviewing family friends and union members to paint the full picture of the driveby victim.These investigative skills also helped me uncover a $4 million bribe to support a landfill expansion. The local civic association usually opposed such moves, but they recently flipped. After a bit of digging, I found out that the dump operators paid the neighborhood for its support. Though legal, this payoff helped the landfill become one of the tallest peaks in the state.

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

- Recognized for outstanding service with the 2016 Rookie H.E.R.O. of the Year award and the May 2018H.E.R.O. of the Month award.- Established strong relationships with regular fans in the section, enhancing their game-day experience.- Effectively mediated conflicts between fans, staffed security details and enforced safety policies tomaintain a welcoming environment.- Conducted interviews and screened job candidates, ensuring they met the highest standards ofcustomer service.Working for the Orioles was a blast. Being a huge baseball fan and an outgoing people person, the job was a perfect fit. I spent my high school summers on the team's event staff, ushering in one of the ballpark's premier sections. I built a rapport with frequent fans, answered questions about the stadium and protected the area with general security. The event staff praised employees who were always helping ensure remarkable outcomes (H.E.R.O.). Anybody who embodies this mentality is a H.E.R.O., our leaders said. My supervisors twice recognized me with H.E.R.O. accolades. After my first season, I was named the 2016 Rookie H.E.R.O. of the Year. I followed that in May of 2018, earning the H.E.R.O. of the Month award.I picked up extra experience in the winters by interviewing job candidates. With a close eye on approachability, I screened interviewees for their customer service abilities. This behind-the-scenes experience gave me a holistic look at cooperation. We only hired team players because there is no "I" in "Team." That lesson has always stuck with me.

Arnold, Maryland

- Ran newspaper’s advertisements department.- Increased monthly ad sales from $400 to $1,000.- Recruited, billed advertisers. - Negotiated prices for custom ads from graphic designer.I dove into the economics of journalism at the Campus Current, the student newspaper at Anne Arundel Community College. I managed the paper's advertisements as a high school senior while taking supplementary classes at AACC. My biggest accomplishment with the Campus Current was growing its monthly ad sales from $400 to $1,000. This jump allowed the paper to have the funding and content necessary to expand from eight pages to 16 pages.My day-to-day duties included recruiting advertisers and negotiating the prices of custom ads. From here, I coordinated with the editors to save space for advertisements in the print edition. My final responsibility was billing clients and tracking their payments.

Hopewell, Virginia

- Specialized in Washington Capitals NHL coverage, delivering hockey game recaps with statistical analysis and injury news.- Built a dedicated sports social media following by sharing live game updates in engaging tweets.- Exemplified sports reporting versatility by covering coach feature stories for the 2016 Military Bowl, an NCAA football postseason game.- Broke the news that the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons lobbied college football officials to be selected for the Military Bowl.Fox Sports 1340 AM introduced me to professional journalism. During my time writing for the radio station's website, I covered Washington-area hockey and college football. I wrote game recaps and team analyses on the Washington Capitals. I also closely followed the 2016 Military Bowl, a postseason college football game. Days before the matchup, I broke the story that the Wake Forest Demon Deacons lobbied the Military Bowl selection committee to choose them to play in the game. I also interviewed players and coaches, posted social media updates and recapped the game.My final responsibility at Fox Sports was promoting the brand on social media. I shared the station's content, interacted with readers and developed a following on my beats. This experience taught me how to expand the audience of a growing news outlet.