2018 – “Letters, photos tell World War I soldier Harold Reilly’s tale”
More than 200 pages of personal letters, a telegram, letters of condolence and an album of more than 140 photos were source material for a project on the last 18 months of Harold Reilly, a Milwaukee lad who joined the Marines and died in combat nine days before the end of World War I.
The material surfaced six week before the 100th anniversary of the end of the “war to end all wars.” Time was found to conduct interviews, digitize all the material and construct a documentary video and photo gallery to run with a story by reporter Jordyn Noenning. All components were produced into an online package, and the story and photos appeared in print throughout Wisconsin on the front page of the Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Nov. 11, 2018.
Archiving & Estates
2017 – Now Newspapers’ office closure
Closure and consolidation of Now Newspaper’s Waukesha office threatened destruction of archive materials stored within the building.
I took initiative to:
– place historic “mugshot” photo print archives with two historic societies.
– recover, consolidate and archive seven years of print page layouts and photographs stored on about 600 CDs onto external hard drives.
– locate and negotiate placement of about 140 lineal feet of Community Newspaper’s bound newspaper volumes – some dating back to the early 1900’s – with an area historical society.
The effort was recognized by Gannett – Wisconsin as one of its April Employees of the Month.
2018 – Freelance Photographer’s Estate
The passing of a local sport and racing freelance photographer left his estate’s executor with a house full of equipment and photo archives. In the process of cleaning out the home:
– More than 80 pieces of digital and film camera equipment were located, identified and inventoried, and consignment sale of the equipment was negotiated through a local retail camera dealer.
– Historic records and negative files from the Wisconsin State Fair’s Magnificent Mile racetrack and the former Hales Corners Speedway were placed with collectors and historic groups.
– Digital images from the Badger Cart Club in Dousman WI were placed in the organization’s historic archive.
– Data pertaining to the history of Wisconsin high school football was recovered in all forms of print and digital material and prepared for continued research and publication by the project’s partner.
– 16mm motion picture film from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s late 1960’s football program was placed in the University’s athletic department’s archives.
2019 – Photographer’s Estate
More than 30 pieces of digital and film camera equipment was cleaned, tested and inventoried for consignment sale through a local retail camera dealer.
2011 – “Ceement Ponds and Swimmin’ Holes”
Paying homage to the “Beverly Hillbillies” television show, “Ceement Ponds and Swimming Holes” was proposed as an summer feature for two college interns to review three open water swimming areas and three public pools in the NOW Newspapers coverage.
Stories, videos, photo galleries and Photosynths – an early form of online 360-degree panorama – were produced of each location for print and online versions. Reporters Andrea Sielicki and Ian Yacob were placed on WTMJ-4’s “Morning Blend” show to promote the project.
Weather provided a viral metrics boost when a heat wave broiled the Milwaukee area as the project went online.
The project received top honors in the Special Web Project category in the 2011 Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper competition.
2010 – “Resolve”
I developed an end-of-year newsroom project for our readers to share their stories of success and Resolve during an extremely difficult 2009. Resolve was scheduled to be published New Years Eve in our seven zoned newspapers, and all content was compiled into an online presentation.
The project as outlined included: all methods for readers to contact us, from fax to voice mail; teaser stories in print and online beginning six weeks before publication; creation of a promotional video that outlined the concept; timelines for story and image deadlines; cross marketing with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; placement of Now staff on WTMJ-4’s “Morning Blend” show before and after publication; updates on the project’s progress to the advertising sales staff.
All reader responses were filtered into four levels of coverage from verbatim use of a reader’s message to expanded feature stories with videos.
Resolve received top honors in the Special Web Project category in the 2010 Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper competition.
2009 – Elm Grove Citizen Police Academy
As coverage of a 10-week Citizen Police Academy project was ending, the reporter and two photographers working on the story were downsized from the Now newsroom. All of the sessions had been covered, but it was unknown how far the story, photo and video elements were in the editing process, or where they were stored in the Now computer system.
In this emotionally charged time, I took initiative to locate all the visual elements, compile a photo gallery for use in print and online, edited an overview video, edited videos of five of the Academy sessions, and worked with Now online staff to create an interactive web presentation.
The Elm Grove Citizen Police Academy received top honors in the Special Web Project category in the 2009 Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper competition.