I, Journalist

A journalist is more than a reporter. A journalist does more than file stories. Being a journalist is way of thinking and a way of living. Here’s why I’m so proud to claim the title:

• I think like a journalist: skeptical and inquisitive. I talk like a journalist: at turns blunt and personable. I’m always seeking, always pushing and I’m tenacious. I don’t take no for an answer and I’ll figure out a way to get the job done.
• I’m a content producer: I write stories and scripts. I produce radio features and sell them on the Public Radio Exchange.  I take photographs for community news sites like Cleveland Heights Patch. You can hire me to create content for you.
• I teach and talk about journalism as a way to probe the world and our environment: I’m an evangelist for online journalism because I believe it’s a platform for  under-served communities and populations . I’m not just talking about racial and ethnic groups. Anyone with a story to tell or a cause to promote can become a publisher, so you might as well do it right.  You can book me to give a presentation or run a workshop.
• Finally, I’m an old-fashioned author: I have written three books: Jump Rope Magic, a picture book published by Scholastic, Inc.,Claiming Kin: Confronting the History of an African American Family, a memoir published by St. Martins Press; and Beyond Stitch and Bitch: Reflections on Knitting and Life, published by Beyond Words Publishing. You can buy a copies of the last two. Just get in touch with me at aoscruggs(at)hotmail(dot)com