Jeffrey Merron

Raleigh, NC USA
Contact

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 Years
Editor
33 Years
Writer
32 Years

Specialty

Business (general)
20 Years
Sports & Recreation
20 Years
Technology
22 Years

Industries


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

Total Media Industry Experience

33 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.

Showcase

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.

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.