Jeffrey Merron

Raleigh, NC USA
33 Years Experience

Professional Experience

Great research. The best sources. Concise, clean, accurate and engaging prose. Available for short gigs and longer-term projects, with experience in technology, sports, travel, medical, and business writing.

Expertise

Content Editor (online) 21 YearsEditor 33 YearsWriter 32 Years

Specialty

Business (general) 20 YearsSports & Recreation 20 YearsTechnology 22 Years

Industries

Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines 13 YearsOnline/new media 22 YearsMagazine - Trade magazines/publications (B2B) 15 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Slate (1-2)
  • Computers.net (10+)
  • ESPN (10+)
  • Durham Magazine (6-10)
  • Chapel Hill Magazine (3-5)
  • Information Week (1-2)
  • Macworld (10+)
  • MedTech Journal (10+)
  • Nonprofit Technology News (10+)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Outer Banks Marathon (10+)
  • U.S.A. Track & Field (1-2)
  • The Coker Group (1-2)

Other Work History

The Progressive Physician (formerly MedTech Journal) Contributing Editor Nonprofit Technology News Contributing Editor ESPN.com (Sept. 2001-Aug. 2006) Contributing Editor/Page 2 Columnist SportsJones Magazine (1998-2001) Executive Editor IBM (Nov. 1995-Aug. 1997) RTP, North Carolina Corporate Communications BYTE Magazine (Feb. 1987-April 1988) Peterborough, NH Associate News Editor Other positions: Philadelphia Inquirer (sports intern); Princeton Packet (sports editor); USA Today (research consultant; Wisc. Public Radio (prod. asst.). Have also written for dozens of newspapers, magazines, Web sites, and newsletters. Full time professor of journalism and mass communication (six years); also taught part time at UNC-CH and New School in NYC.

Technical Skills

digital editing and audio production (spoken word); desktop publishing; multi-media blogging; "hidden Internet" or "deep Web" research

Computer Skills

iPad and Macintosh expert

Equipment

high-end digital audio recorder, laptop, high-quality digital camera, broadband Internet, direct-to-digital phone recording, photocopier, fax, etc.

Profiles

A profile of former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone.
John Hinton, once one of the country's top high school milers, is 45 years old and running nearly as fast has he did 30 years ago. He often wins races, on both the track (against collegians) and the road (against competitors of all ages). And he's now, at age 45, a world record holder.
A profile of Michelle Wie, age 13, including interviews with both her and her father.

General

A "bracket" of 16 great cold weather sports games and achievements.
Sure, take a break—and help cost the U.S. economy $588 billion.
Why former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is wacky -- but not, as an opponent says, close to a nervous breakdown.
The true story of the strangest cancellation in baseball history.
Fee-based services aimed at making your fantasy baseball, football, or basketball teams better can be found all over the Internet, and we found plenty of services that won't necessarily benefit your team. You don't have to pay $50 for specialized analysis or $10 for someone to settle disputes within your league to get the best value out of your fantasy-sports experience.
How to do a "media fast" or take a "digital sabbath" and why.

Culture and History

When did the NCAA Tournament become "March Madness"? When did the semifinals become the "Final Four"? When did the NCAA men's basketball championship tournament arrive as an Event, on a par with the World Series, even surpassing the NBA playoffs, and deserving to be mentioned with the Super Bowl? Many believe it was March 26, 1979, Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird.
In 1965, Sandy Koufax refused to pitch in Game One of the World Series because it was Yom Kippur, a Jewish holy day. Instead of Koufax, Don Drysdale pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. "I bet right now you wish I was Jewish, too," Drysdale said to Walter Alston when the manager came to pull him from the game. The Dodgers lost to the Minnesota Twins, 8-2.

Entertainment

The classic Bill Murray movie is surprisingly autobiographical.
On the 20th anniversary of its release, a look at how the film "Bull Durham" captured and helped spur change in Durham. Includes interview with producer Thom Mount, one-time president of Universal Pictures.

Personal essays

A personal look back at sports in the 1970s
A Father's Day tribute to my dad.

Consumer and Business Technology

An archive of my "Digital Reading Room" column that I wrote for Macworld, as well as other articles and reviews that I've written for Macworld.
Cities around the country seem to be backing away from their promises of widespread, free municipal Wi-Fi services. Are they abandoning the idea of public Wi-Fi, or just retrenching?

Interviews

An interview with the presidential candidate.
An interview with the New Yorker staff writer about his most recent book, the No. 1 bestseller "Outliers," and its sports-related implications.