Wendi C. Thomas Email & Phone Number

Greater Memphis Area

Greater Memphis Area

Steer the public conversation around King's memory toward economic justice through yearlong reporting project. Recommendations from the reporting were presented at a national symposium April 3, 2018.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Amplify the voices of marginalized groups, especially low-income workers, through compelling storytelling. Articles published in Talk Poverty, The Nation and other media outlets.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Invited to create first-ever journalism course, “Writing and Reporting about Race and Class.” Teach students how to spot bias in published work and how to avoid stereotypes in their reporting.

Write about education and racial equity with a focus on solutions.

Washington, D.C.

Write about racial and economic justice for ESPN's vertical on the intersection of sports, race and culture.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Selected as one of 24 journalists for prestigious fellowship at Harvard University. My research focused on how to deepen the public conversation on economic justice using a multimedia news website and civic engagement campaign.

Greater Memphis Area

Shape the conversation about social justice through bimonthly column. Use my well-established social media presence to attract younger audience and unearth story ideas.

Memphis, Tennessee

Invited to develop senior-level course on inequality in Memphis. Explore disparities through the lens of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches and writings. Identify research topics and partners for 2018 economic justice journalism project to mark the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination.

• Designed criminal justice coverage plan that stressed original storytelling and quick-turn investigations. Streamlined breaking news workflow to expedite online posting and beat TV stations. Evaluated staff.
• Trained reporters to use live blogging tool to cover local protests following the police shooting death of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri
• Led reporting team to expose the unintended consequences of a new law affecting pregnant drug users; a lawmaker promised to revisit the law during the next legislative session
• Spotted the viral potential in a tweet; story was shared 1,175 times in less than 24 hours

Greater Memphis Area

Wrote biweekly local column that generated more digital subscriptions than any other staff writer. Columns were also the site’s most read, most commented and most shared. Extended newspaper’s reach through intensive social media engagement. Conceived and coordinated “Inequality in Memphis,” a three-part multimedia series about the working poor.

Greater Memphis Area

Created and grew nonprofit race relations initiative that gives people a safe space to have tough conversations about race. More than 2,000 people have completed the six-week dialogue-to-action program.

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

Orchestrated production of Sunday’s Arts and Books and Travel sections. Managed the six staff writers who cover visual arts, theater, classical music, dance and travel. Shepherded a staff of nine into producing surprising and entertaining coverage of the arts in the Carolinas.

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

Like a train conductor and sometimes a circus performer, I kept all the trains moving on time while juggling breaking news. Also executed a content overhaul of the Sunday local news section. Recruited, hired, molded and sometimes scolded summer interns.

Nashville

Assigned and edited stories from police and courts reporters. As city editor, ensured the daily news budget was full, helped to decide story play, and oversaw a newsroom staff of 30. Chaired the newsroom’s Diversity Committee.

Nashville

Coordinated late-breaking news coverage, assigned and edited news for the local sections of the weekend newspaper. Supervised night side reporters, interns, obituary writers and news clerks. Developed larger network of statewide stringers.

Nashville

Coordinated late-breaking news coverage, assigned and edited news for the local sections of the weekend newspaper. Supervised night side reporters, interns, obituary writers and news clerks. Developed larger network of statewide stringers.

Indianapolis, Indiana Area

Covered the city and township school systems and public and private colleges. Part of the Star’s award-winning team investigating the quality of city schools. Chosen to be on the paper’s first public journalism election team. Also covered police and breaking news.