SETH J. PUTNAM sethjputnam.com // sethjputnam@gmail.com
EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, HONORS COLLEGE Columbia, Missouri // May 2010 Bachelor of Journalism Concentration: Magazine Writing Minor: Spanish Coursework in: Writing, Reporting, Editing, Photojournalism, Multimedia Production, and Graphic Design.
HONORS + ACTIVITIES MIDWEST DEMOCRACY PROJECT NAMED “INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR” FINALIST Associated Press Managing Editors, 2011 FEATURE OF THE YEAR (FOR “MEDIEVAL TIMES”) Vox Magazine Editors, 2010 BEST RURAL/AGRICULTURE STORY (FOR “MYSTERIOUS HONEYBEE DISORDER”) Missouri Press Association, 2010 FIRST PLACE: IN-DEPTH NEWS STORY Arkansas College Media Association, 2008 COLLEGE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Arkansas College Media Association, 2008 EAGLE SCOUT Boy Scouts of America, 2005 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR FINALIST, 2005
SKILLS LANGUAGES: Native English, proficient Spanish, working knowledge of HTML and CSS
EQUIPMENT: Canon EOS and Nikon bodies, lenses and accessories; Marantz and Olympus audio recorders
ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE: Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, Acrobat, Illustrator
OTHER SOFTWARE: News Edit Pro, Audacity, Final Cut Pro, Soundslides, Microsoft Office and Google products
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Delicious, LinkedIn (and newcomers such as Diaspora and Quora) Followers: 1,471 (Twitter+Instagram); 2,400 (@themidwestyle)
STYLE: Proficient in Associated Press, APA, CMS, and MLA formats
RECENT WORK REPORTER-AT-LARGE, FREELANCE Chicago, Illinois // December 2010–Present I cover drinks, nightlife, style, architecture and automotives for regional and national magazines. I’ve written for Chicago Magazine, RedEye, Details.com, Time Out Chicago, Michigan Avenue Magazine, Urban Daddy and others—reporting on everything from a new suit store opening on Oak Street to lively holiday top-tens. I’m most fascinated by stories of unintended consequences: human interest pieces that unscramble universal messages about our tricky world.
PROPRIETOR, OVERSERVEDSOCIETY.COM Chicago, Illinois // June 2012–Present Developed a roving cocktail party that has traveled across Chicago rooftops this summer. Monthly, we pick a classic cocktail, hone the recipe and write about its history before mixing it for 50–75 guests. The idea is for readers to build a repertoire to use while entertaining bosses, colleagues or lovers.
EDITOR, THEMIDWESTYLE.COM Chicago, Illinois // January 2011–Present Cofounded this menswear and lifestyle website. I’m responsible for sculpting a magazine-style voice for the publication and making sure writers stick to it. I also plan the editorial calendar, direct the public image, deal with companies who want to partner or advertise, and spearhead strategies to grow traffic.
POLITICS REPORTER, THE KANSAS CITY STAR Kansas City, Missouri // September–November 2010 Reported font-page stories, including one on Ike Skelton, a 34-year congressman ousted during a wave of discontent with Democrat leadership. Fostered vigorous but polite conversation with readers about Midwest politics. This job was a combination of new media and old-school, shoe-leather reporting.
REPORTER, THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH Columbus, Mississippi // June–August 2010 Wrote about a man facing eviction from his family home after living for 15 years without electricity or running water. Produced Sunday features on summer in the South that highlighted characters such as carnival workers, an 88-yearold watermelon salesman, and the city’s ice-cream-truck man, Chilly Billy.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER, VOX MAGAZINE Columbia, Missouri // September 2009–May 2010 Spent four and a half months dressing up in armor and fighting with medievalhistory reenactors for a feature story on the Society for Creative Anachronism. Worked with a team to produce an audio-visual presentation to accompany the article. Other work included film-festival coverage and features on high school football and survival preparedness.
INTERNSHIP(S) IN ARGENTINA, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Buenos Aires, Argentina // May–August 2009 Interned for a trio of Spanish-language journalism agencies (Terra.com.ar, Periodismo Social, Artemisa Noticias). Photographed difficult themes ranging from child labor to gender issues in Argentine society. Shot a project on the country’s midterm elections and a series on street fashion. Translated articles from English to Spanish and managed website elements.
REPORTER, THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN Columbia, Missouri // January–May 2009 Wrote cover stories about disappearing bees and a Missouri history professor who quit teaching so he could try to become the president of Sudan. Covered fires, crime and breaking news. Produced a bimonthly, hyperlocal newsletter for three Columbia neighborhoods.