Alumni Spotlight

  • Justin Breen News-Editorial JOUR, DNAinfo Chicago

    Sep 15, 2016 1:30 pm by ennes2@illinois.edu

    Images

    1. Name (First and Last)


       Justin Breen



    1. Twitter


       dnainfo_breen



    3.LinkedIn

    
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=ADEAAAD6lyABJ4WsEizTf3x54C_tvXsMP-bhsRg&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=7Lvg&locale=en_US&srchid=164226881445895914834&srchindex=1&srchtotal=26&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A164226881445895914834%2CVSRPtargetId%3A16422688%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary%2CVSRPnm%3Atrue%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH



    Employment Info




    1. Employer


    DNAinfo Chicago



    1. Title/Occupation


       Senior Editor



     

    Academic Info




    1. Graduation Year (list as "Month Year")


       May 1999



    1. Major
News-Editorial

       Journalism



    1. Minor and/or Certificates



     

    Other Stuff




    1. Hometown


       Northbrook, Illinois



    1. Hobbies


       Running, bird watching, raising my two young sons



     

    Career Information & Advice


    Please answer each of the following questions with as much detail as possible while keeping your answers succinct (aim for 2 - 4 sentences per question).



    1. What are your job responsibilities/duties?


       I hired the majority of our staff when we launched the company in November 2012. I was the third person hired, before we had an office, a staff, or really anything else. We now have about 40 full-time employees. Currently, I edit stories about half the time and write human interest stories the other half.



    1. What does a typical day look like?


       In addition to writing/editing, I spend a great deal of time (several hours a day) on social media. I especially spend a ton of time on Twitter, either finding stories or promoting our content.



    1. What do you most enjoy about your job?


       I LOVE the employees at DNAinfo Chicago. So many great people. We also have a great Downtown office with cool views of the city.



    1. What is the most difficult aspect of the job?


       Nothing really difficult. It is a lot of work though, and I never stop thinking about stories. It's like a factory, just with story content.



    1. What on-campus activities were you involved with? Where did you gain relevant experience?


       I was a Senior Writer at the Daily Illini, covering hockey, baseball and football. I also was in Theta Chi fraternity, which helped build social skills and organizational experience.



    1. How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your professional life? For this specific position?


       Leon Dash is still my journalism hero. He inspired me to go after the big story.



    1. What advice do you have for students interested in this field?


       It's a 24/7 job. You have to be 100 percent into it, or you won't last. There are too many people looking for jobs, so you need to stand out.



    1. What is one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you started in the field? When you graduated from the College?


       I am a much bigger team player than I used to be. I think that just comes with age and experience. Everyone, even editors, need editors.



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