Linda Jones

Frisco, TX USA
Contact

Professional Experience

I am a multi-faceted, award-winning freelancer and author who has covered everything from the historic elections in South Africa to the opening of a Starbucks in a Texas funeral home. I write for print and online publications and I can write to the style specifications of my clients. Feature and creative writing is my forte. I write clearly and am skilled at writing and editing news, features, technical and academic projects. Ability to navigate new media and social media platforms is in my repertoire of skills and I can write in SEO style for websites.

Expertise

Content Editor (online)
2 Years
Reporter
28 Years
Writer
28 Years

Specialty

Entertainment
4 Years
Other, Specify
8 Years
Lifestyle
25 Years

Industries


Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines
7 Years
Newspaper - Local/Regional
28 Years
Online/new media
12 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

30 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Naturallycurly.com (10+), AOL News (6-10), Agence France Presse (3-5)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Dallas County Community College Dist (3-5), The Gideon Foundation (3-5), Campbell Ewald - Delivery Mag (1-2), Center for Spiritual Living (1-2), Collin College (1-2)

Other Work History

Staff writing positions -- Dallas Morning News, Detroit News, USA Weekend/USA Today,Fayetteville Times, US News & World Report, Ft. Lauderdale News&Sun-Sentinel,Miami News. Freelance assignments with Essence, Black Enterprise, Glamour, NiaOnline, Time, West Africa Press Syndicate, City Press (Johannesburg, S.Africa),Heart & Soul Magazine, Johnson Publishing Co. Adjunct writing instructor, at Brookhaven College, creative writing instructor, Richland College, Richardson, TX; writing specialist, Mountain View College writing center

Unions

none

Computer Skills

MicroSoft Word, Windows XP

Equipment

Kodak digital camera; Samsung Galaxy cell phone camera, video and voice recorder, HP laptop, Apple Ipod touch.

Work Permits & Visas

none

References

Neil Foote, Foote Communications, Dallas; Linda Ball, Associated Press, Dallas; Felecia Henderson, features editor, Detroit News;Robbie Morganfield, former executive director, Freedom Forum Diversity Institute; Yolanda Woodlee, writer and former national reporter, The Washington Post; Avis Thomas-Lester, editor D.C./Baltimore Afro American; Clem Richardson columnist, New York Daily News; Karen Thomas, professor of journalism, Southern Methodist University, Dallas

Awards

Florida Medical Association; Best of Gannett; National Association of Black Journalists; Asociation of Sunday and Feature Editors; Association for Women Journalists; The Writers' Block

Associations

MediaBistro, National Association of Black Journalists; Dallas-Ft. Worth Association of Black Communicators.

Showcase

News

Collection of news and features as AOL News contributor

Feature - Bereavement

Obituary written to be centerpiece of funeral program for owner of a well respected African cultural bookstore in South Dallas

Feature - Humor

Freelance Writer offers humorous tips to her colleagues who are contemplating substitute teaching to help pay the bills.
It was a matter of relaxing my mind or losing it. Essay on how I battled burnout by spending 10 intensive days of silence and contemplation at a meditation 'boot camp.'

Feature profile

The poetry of Jason Carney, a self-described Skinhead Wannabe helps deliver him from racism and homophobia.

Feature - Religion

To "whoop" or not to "whoop?" Old style and new. A look at the tradition of mixing theatrics with theology in the African American church.

Commentary

Commentary

International

Series on the Black Hebrew Israelites a community of expatriate African Americans who stirred controversy by renouncing their citizenship and settling in Dimona, Israel. For members of this 30 year old community, America was no place to be somebody.

Feature - Tribute

Personal tribute to the late jazz musician Art Blakey