Elsa Knox Butler

Journalism Experience

The New York Times                                                                                                   New York, New York June 2008 – Sept. 2008
TV/Video Department Intern – Responsibilities will include assisting video journalists in the field and editing rough cuts using Final Cut Pro, pitching and reporting stories, and collaborating with newspaper reporters on joint video/print pieces for NYT.com.

The Bryant Park Project for NPR                                                                                 New York, New York Jan. 2008 – present
Multimedia Intern for live morning radio show and integrated website with pod casts, videos, photos and blogging

• Report, film and edit video news and feature pieces and write content for the site. Produce radio show segments: pitch stories, prepare research, book guests, write questions and scripts for anchors, edit audio pieces using Dalet software.

Flavorpill Networks                                                                                        San Francisco, California Aug. 2006 – Aug. 2007                      
Contributing Writer for multimedia weekly webzine, the subject of Sept. 10, 2006 New York Times Magazine feature

• Pitched, reported and wrote articles about cultural events including lectures, music and dance performances

Marin Independent Journal                                                                                              Novato, California Jan. 2005 – Aug. 2007
Contributing Writer for daily newspaper covering the Bay Area’s Marin County with circulation of 300,000

• Wrote features, profiles and reviews of local cultural events including performing arts, theatre and music
• Developed stories and covered events of interest to youth demographic and online readers

City Desk Reporter                                                                                                                                             Dec. 2001 – Apr. 2002

• Covered breaking news including student protests, racial profiling and business/technology stories. Wrote weekly columns on local sports news and profiles on community volunteers.

San Francisco magazine                                                                                         San Francisco, California Jan. 2004 – Apr. 2004
Editorial Intern

• Worked closely with editorial team in developing magazine projects. Contributed to expanding the Style section, resulting in 10% circulation increase. Pitched stories, conducted fact-checking, organized database of profiles for social column.

Condé Nast Traveller                                                                           Cape Town, South Africa Sept. 2001 – Apr. 2002
Contributing Writer

• Pitched, reported and wrote travel briefs on shark cage diving in South Africa and crime rates on Rio de Janeiro’s beaches

Reuters                                                                                                                                       Paris, France May 2000 – Sept. 2000
Editorial Assistant

• Created website content. Conducted and transcribed Italian, French and English interviews about Tour Voile regatta.

Multimedia Communications Experience

Bite Communications                                                                                           San Francisco, California Oct. 2005 – Aug. 2007
Senior Account Executive for international public relations agency specializing in technology companies

• Wrote op-eds, columns and Q&As for executives that ran in publications including The Boston Globe and CNET. Wrote product briefs that appeared in technology trade publications. Drove media coverage of Fortune 500 companies.

Team Alinghi                                                                                                          Auckland, New Zealand Oct. 2002 – Nov. 2003
Press Officer / Translator for Swiss sailing team sponsored by UBS that won the America’s Cup

• Developed bi-lingual website: gathered video footage, photos and audio clips, pitched, wrote and translated French stories
• Generated global media coverage of Swiss sailing team and UBS in major print, radio and television outlets

Education

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism                                                          New York, NY Aug. 2007 – present

• M.S. (concentration in new media journalism) Part-time student anticipated to graduate in Aug. 2008
• Produced multimedia masters thesis using video, interactive timelines, infographics and text about the future of the record label business
• Awarded the Women's International Leadership fellowship which provides scholaship and leadership workshops

Colorado College                                                                                              Colorado Springs, Colorado Sept. 1994 – May 1998

B.A. English and Creative Writing – Awarded the Reville Prize for Short Fiction        

Skills       

• Software: Proficient in audio/video editing tools: Audacity, Dalet, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Protools, Soundslides; Website production: Dreamweaver, Flash, HTML; content management: Fatwire, Movable Type.
• Languages: Fluent in French and Italian
• Board Member: Inforum division of Commonwealth Club, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum