Saturday
Feb202010

About Me

Who is James D. Jackson?

A passionate storyteller - in print, online, on the radio or through the lens of a camera. An award-winning writer, reporter, journalist, radio producer and historian with experience ranging from the hectic pace of a daily newspaper to the depth and breadth of a weekly current affairs magazine and radio program.

My work has been featured on the airwaves of CBC Radio and AM 980 News, online at rabble.ca and Popular Mechanics, and in the pages of Maclean's magazine, This magazine, ScoreGolf magazine, the Alpine Review, the London Free Press, the Woolwich Observer, the Waterloo Chronicle, the Kitchener Post and the Cambridge Times.

With nearly a decade of experience researching, writing and editing under my belt, I have developed an adaptive writing style. From covering spot-news to sporting events, I also have a passion for feature writing, investigative journalism and column writing.

Currently a reporter in Waterloo Region, first for the award-winning community newspaper The Woolwich Observer and now for the award-winning Waterloo Chronicle, I've learned to appreciate the importance of local news because the issues and challenges faced by the day-to-day residents of a community are often a microcosm for issues on the national or international stage.

I am open to any and all freelance writing or radio requests. To contact me, please email james.d.e.jackson[at]gmail.com or find me on Twitter, @JamesDEJ

 

Experience - the things I do.

June 2012 - Present

Reporter/ Photographer, The Waterloo Chronicle 

  • News reporter responsible for covering city council, the 2012 provincial byelection, local events and breaking news as it occurs
  • Research and pitch story ideas, conduct interviews, write and edit stories every week, photography and layout using Quark
  • Issues-based weekly newspaper established in 1856. Focused on in-depth research and uncovering all sides of the story
  • Tight deadlines in a weekly publishing environment: circulation of 31,200

 

August 2010 - June 2012

Reporter/ Photographer, The Woolwich Observer

  • One of two reporters responsible for original reporting on a wide range of topics, from politics to sports
  • Research and pitch story ideas, conduct interviews, write and edit the entire paper, as well as my own photography
  • Tight deadlines in weekly publishing environment: circulation of 14,800
  • Second overall for best feature story at the Canadian Community Newspaper Awards and honourable mention at the Ontario Community Newspaper Awards for best feature story in 2012 for In Her Footsteps. OCNA judge Ian Doig called the piece, "Interesting and colourful... a well-written account of a family coming to grips with their mother's death in the Haitian earthquake. It revisits both the disaster and the death of a community member while exploring the connection and grief shared by two communities a world apart."
  • Winner of Canadian Community Newspaper Awards Blue Ribbon of Excellence in 2011 & 2012
  • Winner of Canadian Community Newspaper Awards Best All-Around Newspaper in 2011 & 2012
  • Winner of the Ontario Community Newspaper Awards General Excellence award in 2011 & 2012
  • Second overall at the Ontario Community Newspaper Awards Best Sports Section in 2011

 

April 2010 - Present

Freelance Writer 

I enjoy writing about the environment, food, sustainable living, geography and history. Ongoing freelance contributor to the Do-It-Yourself section of the Popular Mechanics website.


Jan. 2010
            
Internship, Maclean’s magazine

  • One-month internship at Canada’s only weekly national current affairs magazine
  • Participated in editorial meetings, conducted research, fact-checked others work, and wrote extensively for the web
  • Gained familiarity with magazine publishing environment and the often hectic publishing life-cycle of a weekly national magazine


Fall 2009
          
Volunteer, The London Free Press

  • Shifts at the London Free Press newspaper during fall semester of journalism school


Education - where I learned to do the things I do.

2009 — 2010         

Master of Arts in Journalism
University of Western Ontario - London Ontario

  • Journalism law & ethics
  • Newspaper writing & reporting
  • Broadcast writing & reporting
  • Research 101
  • Long-form feature (magazine) writing
  • Online journalism
  • History of journalism and media theory
  • Design
  • Copy editing
  • Environmental journalism

 

2004 — 2008

Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree
The University of Guelph - Guelph, Ontario

  • History Major (emphasis on Canadian history)
  • Geography Minor (emphasis on environmental resource management) 
  • My thesis examined the relationship between Viking activity in the northern Scottish islands and subsequent environmental degradation

My Book Shelf

I am a big believer that your book shelf speaks volumes about who you are as a person, and what your outlook on life is. So, in no particular order, here is a list of books I've recently read.

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