Assignment Editor (May 2018 - July 2023)

I helped manage newsgathering on nights and weekends for audiences across New England in English and Spanish. My primary responsibilities included dispatching field crews, gathering information for producers, monitoring scanners and social media for potential stories, and generally serving as the point person for breaking news. Additionally, I handled public records requests to support day-of-news coverage and occasionally took on special projects.

I received a call from a viewer who had noticed a vehicle involved in multiple hit-and-run crashes earlier in the day, driving down the highway. While I connected the call to State Police Operations, I determined the location of the vehicle and directed our news helicopter to gather exclusive content for real-time use on air.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I researched and monitored school reopening plans for over 150 school districts across the Boston DMA. I utilized this data to create an on-air ticker and a digital map for web platforms.

One benefit of a disability impacting visual acuity is a heightened sense of auditory processing skills. While doing other tasks, I can listen to multiple emergency response scanners and still fully comprehend the chatter. Such ears allow for an aggressive breaking news approach without compromising other aspects of the newsgathering operation — yielding more exclusive and "first on" content.