Maureen P. Culpepper
Video Game Journalist, Reviews
Chico, CA · (530) 555 0124 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/maureenpculpepper
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Seven years covering video games, five on reviews
INDUSTRIES
National games site, regional arts weekly, enthusiast media
SPECIALTIES
Reviews and criticism, role playing and strategy games, embargo scheduling, ethics disclosure
SYSTEMS
WordPress, Chartbeat, Adobe Premiere, Google Analytics, Slack
CREDENTIALS
Society of Professional Journalists member, Online News Association member
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in English, California State University, Chico
Executive Summary
Games journalist seven years in, writing reviews and criticism for a national games site. Plays every title to credits before scoring it, discloses publisher paid travel and review copies in every piece, and files to embargo. Reviews average 9 minutes of engaged time against a site median of four.
Signature Achievements
- Wrote 58 reviews in a year, every one from a finished playthrough, with two corrections and no scoring dispute upheld.
- Built the site's review policy page covering review copies, publisher paid travel and scoring, which the editor now issues to every freelancer.
- Held 34 review embargoes across two years without a single early publication.
- Reviewed a role playing game at launch in a piece that drew 410,000 readers and 9 minutes 20 seconds of median engaged time.
- Wrote a criticism series on difficulty settings and accessibility that a studio credited when it added a new mode.
Professional Experience
Video Game Journalist, Reviews
Pixel Ledger, Chico, CA 2021 to present
Reviews and criticism for a national games site with 3.1 million monthly readers and a staff of eighteen.
- Plays assigned titles to completion, takes structured notes and writes reviews of 1,200 to 2,500 words.
- Manages a personal embargo calendar across publisher review programs and files ahead of every lift.
- Discloses review copies, early access and any publisher funded travel at the top of each piece under the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics.
- Captures and edits gameplay footage in Adobe Premiere for the review page and social clips.
- Writes search focused headlines and standfirsts, then reviews performance in Chartbeat and revises the weak ones.
Staff Writer
Continue Play Media, Sacramento, CA 2019 to 2021
Small games outlet covering reviews, news and guides for a personal computer audience.
- Wrote four to six reviews and news pieces a week to daily deadlines.
- Covered two Summer Game Fest showcases live from the newsroom.
- Built the outlet's first review scoring rubric with the editor.
Arts Reporter
Northstate Weekly Arts, Chico, CA 2018 to 2019
Weekly arts and culture paper covering music, film, theater and games.
- Wrote a weekly games column alongside general arts coverage.
- Fact checked contributor copy and applied Associated Press style across the section.
Licensure and Certification
Society of Professional Journalists, northern California chapter
Member of the Online News Association since 2021
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English, California State University, Chico, 2018
Poynter Institute course in ethics for digital journalists, 2022
Core Skills
Game reviews · Criticism and analysis · Embargo management · Ethics disclosure · Video capture and editing · Adobe Premiere · Associated Press style · Fact checking · WordPress · Chartbeat