Michelle Rogers

Experience

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  The Chelsea Standard/The Dexter Leader

  May 1992 - Aug 2000

  Reporter and Assistant Editor

  As a reporter, I covered government, education, crime, community events, and wrote features. I was also the staff photographer, and was responsible for newspaper design and proofreading. As assistant editor, I assigned freelance and solicited, managed and edited community contributions.

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  The Chelsea Standard and The Dexter Leader/Heritage Media

  Aug 2000 - Jul 2006

  Editor

  I directed editorial operations for two weekly newspapers and posted content to the web; oversaw a staff of three reporters; wrote news, features, columns and blog posts; paginated pages using QuarkXpress; took photographs; made freelance and newsroom assignments; hired and led editorial staff; contributed to newsroom budget discussions; conducted staff evaluations; and processed payroll for the department.

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  Journal Register Company

  Jul 2006 - May 2014

  As director of community engagement and editorial training for Digital First Media’s Michigan newsrooms, I trained journalists and editors in digital storytelling tools, live coverage, social media and audience engagement.Also as part of my role, I served as founder and director of the Southeast Michigan Media Lab in Ypsilanti, part of a proposal I received corporate funding to operate in partnership with the journalism program at Eastern Michigan University and based at SPARK-East, a business incubator in Ypsilanti.I brought in computers for community use, held in-person training, one-on-one instruction and livestreamed workshops on digital media and social media for the public as part of Digital First Media’s community engagement strategy. I also led blogger recruitment and training across the Michigan group of newspapers, and worked with editors to recruit interns and community contributors, coordinate a live chat schedule and engage with our audience on social media.In addition, I experimented with and implemented use of emerging digital media and social media tools to help grow the company's reach by engaging readers, providing interactive and live content, data-based journalism and visual storytelling.I also worked on the Michigan Data Journalism Team producing stories, data visualizations, audio clips and polls, and served on DFM's Corporate Training Council, training on the learning management system Desire2Learn.In addition, I conceived and managed USG contests via DFM's Michigan Rewards site hosted by Triton Digital, and promoted across 35 branded social media channels; created and managed polls for news sites via CivicScience; and created interactive polls as part of our crowdsourcing efforts via Google Forms.During my time in this role, I spoke as a journalist and editor during Career Day at local schools, served as a panelist during social media and digital media forums, and helped launch a second media lab at the Macomb Daily. Show less As the first managing editor of Heritage Media-West, part of Journal Register Co. and Digital First Media, I led a staff of eight reporters and three editors producing eight weekly newspapers, and posting content to their respective news sites and social media channels. Some of these print publications had roots in their small communities dating back to the late 1800s and had operated independently before their purchase by Heritage Media.My role coincided with the dawn of social media, and I established and managed most of the social media channels associated with these newspapers and was the first Michigan editor in 2009 at DFM to establish a presence on Facebook and Twitter for the Saline Reporter/Milan News-Leader.Additional responsibilities:*Served as copy editor and digital producer for The Saline Reporter, Milan News Leader and A2 Journal, posting content on our website using our CMS, TownNews and posting content to our social media channels;*Contributed to two blogs, including ideaLab-Heritage; *Produced video and audiocasts;*Wrote editorials and columns;*Recruited blogging partners to be linked on our websites and repurposed their content for print;*Paginated and proofread news pages;*Recruited and hired news staff, interns and contracted with freelancers;*Coordinated freelance assignments and budgets;*Processed the department's payroll;*Conducted performance reviews of news staff;*Coordinated entries in a variety of journalism contests;*Served as founder and director of the Southeast Michigan Community Media Lab in Ypsilanti, part of my ideaLab project through JRC and DFM, presenting workshops on social media, digital media, blogging and more, and offering individual training and computer access to people in underserved communities;*Experimented with digital storytelling tools, sharing what I learned with staff and the community as part of our community engagement efforts across the county;*Produced audiocasts embedded on our web pages. Show less

  • Director of community engagement and editorial training for Michigan

    Feb 2013 - May 2014

  • Managing Editor, Heritage Media-West

    Jul 2009 - Feb 2013

  • Editor, Saline Reporter and Milan News-Leader

    Jul 2006 - Jul 2009
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  Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK

  Jul 2014 - Sept 2016

  Content Editor, Redding Record Searchlight/Redding.com

  At the Record Searchlight, part of Gannett and the USA TODAY Network, I focused on community engagement, leading social media strategy and overseeing features content at one of California's most progressive community newsrooms.My responsibilities included:*Coordinating text and visual content from a variety of sources;*Engaging readers through social media, responding to reader comments and pursuing avenues of interacting with audience;*Overseeing feature sections for digital and print platforms;*Promoting and coordinating live events, and engaging readers with the newsroom and key topics.*Supervising shifts of multimedia journalists;*Working with multimedia journalists to produce content for publications in a variety of forms; *Editing and curating content;*Inspiring people and encouraging teamwork.One of my most successful efforts was creating and overseeing the 530 Media Project, a partnership with West Coast Innovations Marketing, providing workshops to the community on social media, blogging, smartphones and other forms of digital communications, as part of the Record Searchlight’s community engagement strategy to find meaningful ways to engage with the community. The concept led to the Record Searchlight receiving honorable mention in Editor & Publisher magazine’s “10 Newspapers That Do It Right” contest in 2016.Also during my time at the Record Searchlight, I graduated from Leadership Redding in 2015 and earned the Great Communicator Award and proposed a local wiki page as the class project.I was also named chair of The Women’s Fund of the Shasta Regional Community Foundation’s Community Engagement Committee. In my first six months, I launched a blog, developed an editorial calendar and social media strategy, and was named to the cabinet weeks before I was promoted to a new position at USATN and relocated to Southern California. Show less

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  Ventura County Star

  Sept 2016 - Jan 2019

  Consumer Experience Director

  At the Ventura County Star, part of Gannett and the USA TODAY Network, I oversaw the programming, production, packaging and promotion of newsroom content. My team determined when to publish content and on which platforms. We also held in-person and virtual events that complemented and elevated our journalism, and facilitated new ways of reaching audience through video, podcasting, social media and chat bots.My team of 17 included a digital planner, audience analyst, video/audio producer, digital producers, engagement editor, social storyteller, visual journalists and community content specialists. We looked at how our audience consumed and responded to content, and tracked audience feedback to more strategically engage our readers. We made daily content decisions based on insights from audience analytics. Key activities:*Supervised and coached audience experience/production team;*Developed and worked to improve audience interaction, focused on understanding audience behavior and engagement;*Developed and implemented strategy for improving our audience’s experience and growing our base;*Served as an active voice in the community, promoting platforms and experiences;*Initiated and oversaw product development: VCS Eats weekly newsletter, Ventura Storytellers Project and Never 30 local history podcast.Audience engagement*Picture This, silent auction of our best photojournalism to raise money for Bell Arts Center and engage audience IRL.*Seabees Storytellers panel and immersive storytelling experience to complement our journalism around the Seabees 75th anniversary.*Never 30 podcast and listening parties, bringing our local history podcasts to senior citizens.*Ventura County Spelling Bee.*Readers Choice audience-voted “best of” contest with dinner program for winners.*Star Scholars, scholarship program for high school seniors.*Community workshops on videography, photography, blogging and social media.*Facebook Live from Ventura Food & Wine Festival. Show less

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  Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK

  Jan 2019 - Apr 2022

  National Manager, Storytellers Project

  Responsible for growing the frequency and sophistication of the editorially-driven Storytellers Project events across the USA TODAY Network, ensuring its sustainability and growth, and ensuring that all decisions made dovetail with and reflect the company's marketing and revenue goals.Through the Storytellers Project, part of Content Ventures at Gannett, I worked with two dozen newsrooms, including the Des Moines Register, Arizona Republic, Austin American-Statesman, Palm Beach Post and Columbus Dispatch, to annually produce 100 shows, featuring everyday people sharing true, first-person stories that create community connection and lift up voices not often heard from.My key responsibilities included:* Managing a growing network of newsroom coaches and event producers to ensure editorial, marketing and revenue goals are met;* Developing and executing an editorial growth plan for frequency and sophistication of events;* Booking venues and tellers for multiple cities and/or managing the process;* Developing new efficiencies and processes to centrally manage workflow;* Producing a monthly newsletter to engage and grow audience;*Overseeing a strategy and goals centered on DEI;*Growing audience through social media strategy.During the pandemic, our team pivoted to biweekly virtual shows. It was my responsibility to find and book storytellers from across the U.S., including celebrities, authors and entrepreneurs, and participate in their coaching. I also curated playlists of story recordings from our in-person shows for the Network to use in newsletters and on other platforms.During my time in this position, I graduated from Gannett/USA TODAY Network's Emerging Leaders program, class of 2018-19.I am adept at creating social media strategy; audience analytics using Parse.ly; project management; finding and booking talent and venues across the country; producing in-person and virtual events; creating interactive content and developing SEO strategy. Show less

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  Camarillo Health Care District CA

  Apr 2022 - now

  Community Services Manager

  I oversee all aspects of customer service and satisfaction with regard to the District’s community relations and outreach, education services, customer service, front reception services, and facility use services.Since taking on this new role, I've enjoyed the creative freedom to launch a blog and storytelling podcast around health and caregiver journeys; start a newsletter, which boasts a 40% open rate; expand the District's social media presence, including on TikTok, SoundCloud, Threads, Clapper and YouTube; teach new classes in digital literacy; and co-create a curriculum around virtual reality. Our “Adventures in VR” was named Innovative Program of the Year by the California Special District Association in August 2023.My duties include: *Developing and managing community outreach efforts, including developing and managing the District’s social media, website and electronic presence.*Maintaining current knowledge base of all programming and services to interact with the public accurately with timely messaging.*Representing the District’s interest at community events, fairs and outreach activities.*Overseeing and developing all aspects of customer service, including developing hospitality protocols with regards to client use of facilities, fostering customer satisfaction, and developing education services in alignment with strategic plan.*Interfacing with other program managers to keep abreast of activities, needs, and issues as it relates to customer satisfaction and service in order to appropriately promote the District.*Managing, training and supervising reporting staff in keeping with District culture, policies and procedures.*Overseeing daily interaction with clients, responding to inquiries and directing to appropriate services.*Supervising personnel in facilitating any/all short-term facility use/lease and/or rental agreements.*Developing, overseeing and maintaining departmental budget(s).*Preparing reports and project summaries. Show less