Chase E. Trott
Editor in Chief, Nonprofit news
Des Moines, IA · (515) 555 0111 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/chaseetrott
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Twenty two years in journalism, six as editor in chief of a nonprofit newsroom
INDUSTRIES
Nonprofit news, statehouse and agriculture coverage, public accountability journalism
SPECIALTIES
Investigative editing, editorial standards, newsroom leadership, membership revenue, legal review
SYSTEMS
WordPress, Chartbeat, Google Analytics, Airtable, Slack, Adobe Premiere
CREDENTIALS
Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors; member, Institute for Nonprofit News
EDUCATION
Master of Arts in journalism, University of Iowa
Executive Summary
Editor in chief of a statewide nonprofit newsroom, twenty two years in journalism and six leading a newsroom of eighteen. Sets the coverage agenda, defends the work when officials push back, and has built a membership base that now funds more than half of editorial. Every investigation carries her final read before publication.
Signature Achievements
- Led an investigation into nursing home inspection failures that prompted state legislation and two agency policy changes.
- Grew the newsroom from seven journalists to eighteen while raising annual revenue from one point two million to four million dollars.
- Built a membership program of eleven thousand donors that now covers fifty four percent of the editorial budget.
- Defended two public records lawsuits with counsel and won release of inspection data that anchored a year of coverage.
- Published a written corrections policy and cut significant corrections from nineteen in a year to five.
- Established a republishing partnership that places the newsroom work in ninety local outlets across the state at no charge.
Professional Experience
Editor in Chief
Prairie State Newsroom, Des Moines, IA 2019 to present
Leads a nonprofit statewide newsroom of eighteen journalists covering state government, agriculture, health and rural communities.
- Sets the annual coverage agenda with the managing editor and holds each desk to quarterly reporting goals.
- Edits every investigation before publication, including the source list, the documents behind each claim and the response from every subject.
- Runs prepublication legal review with outside counsel on defamation and privacy risk in accountability work.
- Owns the editorial standards manual, the corrections policy and the conflict of interest disclosures for all staff.
- Works with the executive director on the editorial budget, funder relationships and the firewall that keeps donors out of coverage decisions.
- Hires, mentors and evaluates reporters and editors, and has promoted four reporters into editing roles.
Managing Editor
Cornbelt Public Media, Cedar Rapids, IA 2013 to 2019
Ran daily news operations for a public radio and digital newsroom of twenty two staff.
- Directed daily assignments, edited broadcast and digital copy and led coverage of two election cycles.
- Built the first data reporting position at the organization and edited three data driven series.
- Managed the corrections and transparency practices adopted across the newsroom.
Statehouse Reporter
Hawkeye Regional Journal, Iowa City, IA 2004 to 2013
Covered the legislature, state agencies and rural health for a regional daily newspaper.
- Filed daily legislative coverage and led an annual series on state budget decisions.
- Broke a story on unreported water quality violations that state regulators later confirmed.
- Mentored three interns a year through a program with the state journalism school, hiring two of them onto staff.
Licensure and Certification
Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors
Member, Institute for Nonprofit News
Education
Master of Arts in journalism, University of Iowa
Bachelor of Arts in political science, Drake University
Core Skills
Investigative editing · Editorial standards · Newsroom leadership · Public records litigation support · Corrections policy · Membership revenue · Legal review · Hiring and mentoring · Budget management · Partnership development