Grant Smith journalist

Memphis, Tennessee
grant@grantmeaccess.com
901-412-5997
I am an award-winning jorna!ist with near!" a decade o# pro#essiona! e$perience, inc!ding si$ "ears as a data
reporter at a metro dai!" newspaper. I teach a we% de&e!opment corse at the 'ni&ersit" o# Memphis.
I %rew a #ine %eer.
Experience
The Commercial Appeal at Memphis, Tenn.
data reporter
I ana!"(e data%ases and se )I* mapping #or in&estigati&e stories and de&e!op
interacti&e search too!s and &isa!i(ations #or the we%.
I a!so do genera! assignment reporting and write a %i-wee+!" data co!mn.
,ccasiona! we% prodcer, editing stories, photos, &ideo, socia! media
-e&e!oped a new on!ine stor" %dgeting too! and he!ped transition or we%site
.M* #rom -jango/0!!ington to 0nd1!a".
-e&e!oped a homicide trac+er map and data%ase
Mem%er o# the 2#or-p!at#orm3 newsroom change committee
4inner o# the 2012 *ociet" o# 1ro#essiona! 5orna!ists *igma -e!ta .hi 6ward
#or in&estigati&e reporting #or 2.ash .rop,3 an in&estigation o# an o#t-a%sed ta$
s%sid" program #or #arm!and.
Tennessee 61 Managing 0ditors 6ward7 8irst p!ace #or m!timedia #or 24ithers7
0$posed3
)reen 0"eshade 6wards7 24ithers7 0$posed3 won #irst p!ace #or %est on!ine
p%!ic ser&ice jorna!ism and 2I9m 6! :aeda3 won second p!ace #or %est p%!ic
ser&ice reporting on!ine.
*ept. 200; to
present
Florida Center for Inesti!atie "eportin!
data reporter, freelance
6na!"(e data #or in&estigations and de&e!op interacti&e data &isa!i(ations,
which ha&e appeared in the Miami <era!d, the 8!orida Times-'nion and the =a+e!and
=edger.
*ept. 2010 to
present
#niersit$ of Memphis School of %ournalism
adjunct instructor
I teach 4e% 1%!ishing I, which introdces stdents to we% de&e!opment.
5an. 2010 to
present
Mil&au'ee %ournal Sentinel
intern reporter
6s a mem%er o# the award-winning watchdog team, I sed compter-assisted
reporting to prodce enterprise projects and watchdog stories, maintained data%ases.
0$ce!!ence in 4isconsin 5orna!ism .ompetition7 2>ace gap #ond in potho!e
patching3 won second p!ace #or %est in&estigati&e stor" or series
5ne 200;-*ept.
200;
Gannett (e&s Serice
intern reporter
6na!"(ed 0n&ironmenta! 1rotection 6genc" data #or an in&estigation o# sewer
5an. 200;-6pri!
200;
s"stem en#orcement and in#rastrctre #ai!re. The #ina! pac+age o# stories, graphics
and a searcha%!e data%ase, appeared in '*6 Toda", the ?ash&i!!e Tennessean and the
Indianapo!is *tar.
6ssisted other reporters with their projects, de&e!oped a searcha%!e data%ase #or
the )?* Intranet and other newsroom tas+s.
(ational Institute for Computer)Assisted "eportin!
data anal$st
Maintained go&ernment data%ases and #ie!ded ca!!s #rom jorna!ists across the
contr" who needed a data%ase or he!p with their ana!"sis.
.ompi!ed a new data%ase #or the !i%rar" and he!ped pdate the hand%oo+ #or
<ome Mortgage -isc!osre 6ct data ana!"sis and reporting.
)I* ana!"sis #or T@ station in&estigating se$ o##ender residences near %s stops.
6g. 2007--ec.
2007
The Colum*ia Missourian
assistant cit$ editor, enterprise reporter
4or+ed on !ong-term reporting projects that reAired thorogh research,
compter-assisted reporting and co!!a%oration with other reporters as an
enterprise reporter B6g. C07--ec. C07D.
4rote a 8i&e Ideas co!mn, in which the newspaper so!icits reader inpt and
de%ate a%ot contro&ersia! isses co&ered that wee+.
Mentored stdent reporters on the higher edcation and #aith %eats to de&e!op
their reporting and writing s+i!!s whi!e an assistant cit" editor BMa" C07-6g. C07D.
<e!ped with stor" idea generation and attended %dget and %eat meetings. 6ssigned
%rea+ing news stories and edited stories #rom each %eat #or the pcoming edition.
1osted news stories on the 4e%, and issed %rea+ing-news %rsts on the 4e%
and to s%scri%ersC ce!! phones.
<e!d one cop" editing shi#t per wee+ #or #i&e months.
Eept a wee+!" %!og a%ot m" reporting acti&ities and or ongoing discssions
a%ot how to prodce higher Aa!it" jorna!ism.
Ma" 2007--ec.
2007
M$Missourian
coordinator, &e* deeloper
.iti(en-jorna!ism coordinator on the E12 edcation %eat and part o# an e##ort
to increase the papers9 engagement with its commnit".
-esigned the *choo!hose Ta!+ %!og, a E12 in#ormation center #or residents. It
a!!ows readers to s%mit their own content to spp!ement reporter-generated content.
-esigned a %!og #or a contri%tor on the art o# co%%!ing, and so!icited citi(en
contri%tions on a &ariet" o# s%jects.
6g. 2007--ec.
2007
The +ominion ,ost
reporter, cop$ editor, desi!ner
>eported #!! time on higher edcation and hea!th care.
1roo#ed stories and designed pages.
1rodced a dai!" wire %dget and proo#ed the paper as it ro!!ed o## the press.
5!" 2004-5ne
200F
The Charleston +ail$ Mail in -..a.
intern reporter
.o&ered go&ernment and a %it o# e&er"thing o# interest in a neigh%oring cont".
6s a Morgantown %rea reporter I #i!ed stories a%ot e&ents and peop!e that
were o# interest to the entire state.
*ept. 2002--ec.
2002G Ma"
200H-6g. 200H
The +ail$ Athenaeum
mana!in! editor, ne&s editor, associate ne&s editor, campus calendar/comics
editor, reporter, columnist
6s managing editor, I was responsi%!e #or the a!!-stdent newsroom sta##, which
prodced an award-winning dai!" newspaper.
.o&ered the ni&ersit" departmenta! and administration %eats as a reporter.
Iest >eporter 6ward B#a!! 2001-spring 2002D, 1%!isherCs Teammate 6ward B#a!!
200H-spring 2004D, Iest 6!!-6rond 0mp!o"ee award B2002D, *enior *er&ice 6ward
B2004D
*ept. 2000-Ma"
2004
Education
#niersit$ of Missouri at Colum*ia, Mo.
Masters of Arts in %ournalism
*tdied compter-assisted and in&estigati&e reporting
6ttended In&estigati&e >eporters J 0ditors9 )I* Mapping -ata #or ?ews
*tories Ioot .amp B6g. 2007D
Teaching assistant #or 1rincip!es o# 6merican 5orna!ism B6g. 200F-Ma"
2007DG graded stdent wor+, he!ped stdents re&iew #or e$ams and administered an
on!ine discssion %oard.
200F-200;
-est .ir!inia #niersit$ at Mor!anto&n, -..a.
0achelor of Science
5orna!ism majorG internationa! and comparati&e po!itics minor
.ontri%ting athor 2.ancer *tories7 =essons in =o&e, =oss J <ope,3 4@'
1ress 2005
*ociet" o# 1ro#essiona! 5orna!ists stdent chapter president #a!! 2002-spring
2004
Mem%er, *choo! o# 5orna!ism *tdent 8ees .ommittee
0dgar Ma"a Mode! ,rgani(ation o# 6merican *tates de!egate 4ashington,
-..., 2004
2000-2004
Actiities
Fu11$0re&.com
*lo!!er and &e* deeloper
I de&e!oped this home%rew and %eer news we%site with two #riends with whom
I %rew %eer. 4e +eep the Memphis area appraised o# %eer-re!ated e&ents and %!og
a%ot home%rewing. The site was #eatred in the %oo+ 28ood =o&ers9 )ide to
Memphis.3
6pri! 2010 to
present
-est .ir!inia ,ress Association
Freedom of Information Act auditor
.ondcted a 8,I6 adit at the 1reston .ont" *heri##9s ,##ice, Ioard o#
0dcation and .ont" .ommission
2005
2earns Fello&ship
Tra&e!ed to Idapest, <ngar", to co&er the opening o# the #irst <o!ocast
msem in 0astern 0rope #or The .har!eston -ai!" Mai!.
2004
Economics of Cu*a
*pent 10 da"s in .%a std"ing its economics and c!tre as a capstone to a
March 200H
co!!ege corse.
0o$ Scouts of America
Ea!le Scout
<e!d the positions o# !i#egard, senior patro! !eader and jnior assistant
scotmaster, Aartermaster, assistant senior patro! !eader
8or m" 0ag!e *cot project, I e$tended a pop!ar montain %i+e trai! and
designed and constrcted a proper switch%ac+ to pre&ent erosion and si!t-re!ated
pro%!ems downstream. The switch%ac+ is sti!! e##ecti&e more than a decade !ater.

199F-2000
Trainin!, Certification, S'ills
0$pertise or #ami!iarit" with <TM=/.**, *:=, 6ccess, 0$ce!, 8o$1ro, ?a&icat, -ocment.!od,
)I*, 6rc@iew, :)I*, 5a&ascript, :ar+, In-esign, 1"thon, >-*tdio, 4ordpress
'sa!!" attend the ?ationa! Institte #or .ompter-6ssisted >eporting con#erence.
6dditiona!!" attended7 I>0 2014G *ociet" o# 1ro#essiona! 5orna!ists regiona! con#erence,
Morgantown, 4.@a., 6pri! 2005G *15 region I@ con#erence, .!e&e!and, ,hio, 6pri! 200HG *15 nationa!
con#erence, Tampa, 8!a., *ept. 200HG Mi!itar" >eporters and 0ditors, 4ashington, -..., ?o&. 2002G
In&estigati&e >eporters and 0ditors, .har!eston, 4.@a., *ept. 2002G Institte o# <mane *tdies,
6r!ington, @a., 5!" 2002/8e%. 200HG .o!!ege Media 6d&isers, -a!!as, Te$as, ?o&. 200H

"eferences
6&ai!a%!e pon reAest