Writing Examples
Contributing Writer for The Montecito Journal:
Magazine Articles
I wrote my first piece for The Montecito Journal in February of 2024, marking my magazine writing debut after spending two years writing online and broadcast news stories. As I've mentioned in more places than one on this website, I love storytelling – and I'm determined to try every medium of creative storytelling production I can get my hands on.
“An Architect's Encore at the Cherished Coral Casino," printed in The Riv magazine on Mar. 15, 2024.
After publishing over 850 online stories, I'll never forget the feeling of seeing my face and name on a glossy, tangible page for the first time. When my mom heard this edition of The Montecito Journal's architecture magazine, The Riv, had been printed, she drove all over town trying to find a copy – but they'd already been sold out.
This story was originally supposed to be a test article I would ghost write for the publication so the editors could see my writing style and consider me for future work. However, a week before this edition went to print, that plan fell through and they assigned me this story, which I completed – from research/interview to finish – within four days.
Freelance Writer for Noozhawk:
Feature Stories
I began freelancing for Noozhawk in April of 2023 in addition to my full time job at News Channel 3-12. Noozhawk is a local digital news platform in Santa Barbara, and I joined the team to build my portfolio while working alongside professional writers.
Long-form journalism is the root of my passion for this career. Every curriculum I design for myself, every professional experience I gain is directed toward improving my storytelling skills. Within these pieces, you'll see how I weave my multimedia skills throughout my writing in order to thoroughly portray each story.
"Meet People Behind the Numbers in Santa Barbara County’s Point in Time Count,” published on Jan. 25, 2024. This is a story I've wanted to write for nearly my whole life. When I learned to drive, a family member instructed me on what they coined “roll room:” leaving about six feet of space in front of my car at a stoplight so I could “roll” forward in case the unhoused person on the corner tried to approach my window. There are constant narratives behind this reasoning, a self-comforting blanket we can throw over why we might cross the street to avoid walking too close to someone living on it, why we might avert eye contact or sit blankly as a person with a grocery cart of their only belongings screams into the air, fighting a battle only visible to them.
Passersby might contribute a smile, some food, a conversation and a few dollars, and some might devote their lives and careers to advocacy and activism for people experiencing homelessness. No matter the effort, however, one fact remains: the homeless population is growing. And while there is plenty of ongoing research as to why and what can be done to amend it, I feel as though sometimes the humanity can get lost in analytics and politics. Did anyone who was counted in the Point in Time Count ever play in a youth soccer league? Did anyone of the 1,887 homeless individuals ever fall in love? Did the person who screams in the street ever race down them with their childhood friends?
Turns out, some did.
Jerry Roberts invited me onto his show to talk more about this piece, which you can watch below.
“Friday Night Lights: How a Youth Flag Football Program Changed the Game in Santa Barbara, and the Family Behind It," published on Nov. 24, 2023. For my most recent freelance piece, I exercised my hand at combining feature and sports storytelling. I focused on sports storytelling throughout my journalism education, so this story was an exciting opportunity to dive back into the field in a professional format. My goal for this long-form story was to portray the resiliency of the community, and to demonstrate how the world of sports serves as a conduit where we engage a diverse yet united audience, undivided by politics or economy.
While working on this story, the local Santa Barbara TV show "Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" invited me on to give some background information and discuss my hope for the piece.
“Meet Fiesta’s 2023 Grand Marshal: Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto, Barbareño Chumash Elder," published on July 31, 2023. Santa Barbara's annual Fiesta celebration made history in its 99th year by electing the very first Chumash elder Grand Marshal for El Desfile Histórico. This was a significant selection for Old Spanish Days as it recognized the history of indigenous culture within a celebration of the Spanish colonial period. However, that's not how the 84-year-old saw it. “I’m not going symbolic,” she noted, however, her eyebrows furrowing. “I’m going Ygnacio.”
"Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" invited me onto the weekly show to give some insight and a behind-the-scene look into my story on Ernestine.
"Battle Over State Street Outdoor Dining Fees Boils Over to Santa Barbara City Council Meeting Tuesday,” published on Apr. 24, 2023. This was my first freelance piece. The parklets, also referred to as outdoor dining areas, and the road closures were the city's temporary response during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep downtown in business. However, now that indoor businesses can once again thrive, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse wished to raise the tax on parklets, deeming it an unfair advantage for restaurants. I spoke with businesses owners, managers, and the mayor himself the week before the city council had to make the decision.
As a result of this story, Jerry Roberts asked me to come on his show to conduct a Q & A with the Mayor of Santa Barbara on the topic of my story. This was my first time on his show.
Digital Content Director for KEYT News Channel 3-12:
Digital Stories
Out of the 800+ stories I have written for KEYT News Channel 3-12, my four favorite stories are attached below.
“Santa Barbara County reflects on 15th anniversary of 2008 Montecito Tea Fire," published on Nov. 13, 2023. This was a very special story I got to work on with the approval of my station's General Manager and EP. This day marked 15 years since one of the most destructive fires in Santa Barbara's history – the wildfire that took my childhood home. I was so lucky and proud to be able to put this story together in the job that I love, and show it to the community who gave so much to me and my family 15 years ago and every day since. I wrote, filmed, edited and produced both the written and broadcast piece here.
Jerry Roberts welcomed me on his show to recount my personal experience with this fire as well as further discuss my findings through my work on this story.
“Hundreds show up with dogs to fulfill Make-A-Wish for 7-year-old cancer patient," published on Feb. 11, 2022. I was only a month into my job at KEYT, barely out of training, when I found this story. I saw a flyer on an Instagram story the night before this event, and I had the all-too-familiar journalistic urge to pursue it. With the last minute approval from my Executive Producer, I got to go out into the field for the first time and report on what I experienced, rather than what came from a press release. This story won my videographer and I a 2022 Golden Mike Award, titled: TV-29, DIVISION B – BEST NEWS VIDEOGRAPHY OF A FEATURE STORY, SERIES, OR SPECIAL. WINNER: KEYT 'Make A Wish Puppy Party'.
"Bystanders help pull driver from burning vehicle rollover crash Thursday night,” published on Nov. 18, 2022. This story stemmed from a breaking news piece I wrote the previous night (linked in the article). The next morning, I woke up to multiple messages to my email and social media accounts, requesting to connect me with bystanders who helped pull a driver on fire from his burning car. With our reporters fully booked that day, I took the initiative to conduct one interview over zoom, and have a videographer-in-training grab the other, and let me write the full story and help with the broadcast script. After publishing this story, a case investigator from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission then reached out to me, requesting contact info for the two bystanders I interviewed. The two received nominations for the Carnegie Hero Awards, as well as honors from the local county fire department. This is my favorite piece I have produced to date.
“Mass shootings: resources to help cope with and prevent gun violence,” published on Jan. 24, 2023. Working in news certainly has its toll on mental health. However, with this story, not only was I able to find a way to cope with such tragedies through my work, but I was able to help others in my community with it as well. I spent hours calling and emailing local health officials, education and mental health specialists, as well as compiling resources in order to create this story.
Hard News
The two stories attached below exemplify my best work reporting on hard news.
"Thousands sign petition to fire Santa Ynez High School vice principal following student-involved incident," published on Mar. 3, 2023.
"Two teens charged with murder, one teen with accessory in Dec. 2022 Stearns Wharf homicide," published on Feb. 17, 2023.
Breaking News
Below are five of my best breaking news stories. I wrote each article within minutes of compiling info, calling local officials, and coordinating with the news team to send out crews. I would promptly update the stories as more information became available.
"Evacuation orders and flash flood warning issued for much of Santa Barbara County, shelter-in-place issued for impact areas," published on Jan. 9, 2023. This story reached nearly 40,000 unique pageviews. We reach roughly 1.3 million pageviews per month.
"Highway 101 opens in both directions, other highway closures remain," published on Jan. 10, 2023. This story reached nearly 48,000 uniques pageviews.
"Three people killed in three-car crash in Isla Vista, five others injured," published on May 28, 2022. This story reached over 25,500 unique pageviews.
"Paul Flores found guilty of murder of Kristin Smart, Ruben Flores found not guilty," published on Oct. 18, 2022. My assignment editor and I worked together within three hours to create shell stories for each outcome of this heavily covered trial, after the courthouse announced the verdicts would be read that morning. This story reached over 15,500 unique pageviews.
"Bridge Fire reaches 100% containment, burned 8.19 acres of land, evacuation orders and road closure updates," published on June 5, 2022. This story reached nearly 13,500 unique pageviews.