Construction Project

Why Journalism?

EXPERIENCEThe Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Tex.

Cops reporting intern (May 2012 - December 2012)

When the city's black community almost rioted over a police shooting, I stayed out until midnight with my dying iPhone. When a man climbed a construction crane and claimed to have a gun, I spent the day baking in the sun. On story after story, when crime-scene tape went up, I found a way past it into the hallways of neighbors and the living rooms of suspects and victims. In Dallas, my job was to cover daily crimes and to look deeper at crime and policing in Dallas with enterprise stories.The Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Reporting intern (July 2011 - December 2011)

For six months, I covered night cops and general assignments at the Times Free Press. Unlike my past internships, which were filled with narrative writing, I covered more breaking news and daily stories. I learned to tell stories on tight deadlines and to look for stories hidden in others' beats. I covered Occupy Chattanooga (including a wedding that stalled the protests). I followed some Chattanooga cops as they rode their new, armored Segway-like patrol vehicles. I talked to a mother of six about the stresses that made her almost kill herself.The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Fla.

Reporting intern (May 2011 - June 2011)

As a general-assignment intern for the Times-Union, I covered the lives we hide, like the man who suffered a stroke but smiled, or the job fair that wasn't offering jobs, or the community that lost its history and its middle school.The North Florida Herald, High Springs, Fla.

Reporting intern (January 2011 - May 2011)

At The North Florida Herald, I covered the Newberry City Commission, learning how to make complicated issues understandable and interesting. For example, I wrote about the city's efforts to repeal an antiquated ban against gun use. For several other stories, I covered the construction of what will become the world's largest baseball park. When I wasn't covering city commission, I wrote narratives about business, religion, education and daily lives.The Independent Florida Alligator

Reporter (January 2010 - December 2010)

During the summer, while taking classes, I wrote 50 stories in three months. For one story, I went homeless for three weeks to write about squatters in Gainesville. For another, I investigated the journalism school's hiring methods, which led to a change in policy. In the fall, I began writing narratives.

Previous positions: Copy editor (January 2010 - May 2010)EDUCATION

University of Florida, journalism degree expected in May 2013

What I learned at UF:

From political reporter Wayne Garcia, I learned how to find and use public records in Florida. For a final project, I compiled a 100-page binder of public records on Florida state Sen. Steve Wise.

From former St. Petersburg Times executive editor Mike Foley, I learned the importance of owning a story, showing details and reporting until I know more about the story than anyone else.

From St. Petersburg Times enterprise editor Kelley Benham, I learned how to report for narrative, how to write scenes and how to write everyday stories about the human experience.

From three-time editor-in-chief Norm Lewis, I learned the importance of fact-checking a story like a prosecutor, asking myself, "How do I really know that to be true?"

I study sociology, anthropology, public policy analysis, history. I want to know about the world, so I want to look at it from every angle. That's why I'm a journalist.

Copyright © 2010 Andrew Pantazi

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Copyright © 2010 Andre

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