Patrick
E. Litowitz
OFFERING
Award-winning,
versatile journalist skilled as a reporter, designer/paginator, copy editor and
department editor. Possesses multimedia experience. Approaches each task with an
expectation of high quality. Embraces the opportunity to learn new technologies
and skills. Works well in a team environment in an effort to provide outstanding
print and web-based products.
EXPERIENCE
February 2000 to present, August 1993 to February 1995)
Owned by
Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., the New Castle News is one of CNHI’s 130
community newspapers. The News claims approximately 14,000 print subscribers
and more than 5.000 unique, daily visitors to its website. Its coverage area is
Lawrence
County ,
Pa.
Design/pagination: Moved to the design desk
following staff reductions in late 2011. Deliver attractive, eye-catching
layout. Design an average of 10 pages daily with the primary focus on the
news, lifestyle and sports pages and obituary section.
Other
positions held: Reporter,
copy editor and department editor (news, lifestyle and night)
Passion
for news: Earned
17 awards during tenure at The News. Among the covered topics: Misuse of public
funds within the Lawrence County Treasurer’s Office; fraud and theft of a
failed housing agency; the case against former state Rep. Frank LaGrotta; a
nationwide analysis on acquiring state legislators’ voting records; and ongoing
coverage of the New Castle Area School Disrict.
Rapid
Response: Part
of a seven-person team developed for multimedia coverage. During an emergency, team
members are sent to the scene and the incident is reported online as “Breaking
News.” Photographs and video follow. A story is featured in the next edition of
The News.
Other
skills: Versed
in AP style. Excel in investigative journalism using Internet research, public
records examination and spreadsheet development. Shoot and produce videos for www.ncnewsonline.com.
Helped young reporters improve their talents through workshops.
Progressive
Insurance Companies
(February
1995 to October 2000)
Based in
Mayfield , Ohio
Claims
representative: Specialized in the following services – automobile,
motorcycle, casualty, mobile home, motor boat and special investigations (fraud,
fire and theft).
Service:
Recognized for efforts in claims negotiation, fraud investigation and customer response.
Accomplishments:
Prevented potential $50,000 fraud involving stolen hotrod and another regarding
an alleged $10,000 baseball card.
Morning
Journal, Lisbon , Ohio
(April
1987 to August 1993)
Countywide
daily newspaper focused on Columbiana County , Ohio
Specialty:
Wrote articles, edited copy and designed pages for the news and sports
departments. Also designed weekly publication.
Community-based
newspaper serving communities of Niles
Advancement:
Promoted from sports writer to sports editor. Directed staff of one full-time
reporter and five correspondents.
Responsibility:
Produced and edited sports articles. Designed three to four sports pages daily, the sports
sections of three weekly publications and an annual, comprehensive football
section.
AWARDS
Investigative
reporting•2009 – Golden Quill (first place), PAPME (first place) and Keystone Press (second place)
•2007 – Golden Quill (first place)
•2006 – Keystone Press (second place)
•2005 – Keystone Press (first place) and Golden Quill (finalist)
Spot
News
•2011 – Keystone Press (second place)
News
beat reporting
•2008 – Keystone Press (first place)
Business
reporting
•2008 – Keystone Press (second place), co-author Lisa
Micco
Ongoing
news coverage
•2007 – Keystone Press (second place), co-author John
Manna and Nancy Lowry
Column
writing
•2004 – PAPME (second place) and Keystone Press
(honorable mention), co-author Lisa Micco•2003 – Keystone Press (first place) and Golden Quill (finalist), co-author Lisa Micco
Special
projects
•2004 – Keystone Press (honorable mention), staff
Headline
writing
•2002 – Keystone Press (first place)
COMPUTER
SKILLS
•Experience
in PC-based and Mac OS systems•Proficient in NewsEditPro, QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, MS Word and MS Excel
•Multimedia abilities include videography and video production; photography; and placement of breaking news, news stories, video and photographs on the New Castle News website using the Zope publishing application.
EDUCATION
CIVIC/PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES
Job’s
Daughters(2001-present)
Adult volunteer for female youth organization. Create promotional materials, such as videos and press releases.
Community
Legal Aid Inc., Youngstown , Ohio
(January
2009 to July 2009)Assisted agency in the handling of Social Security, disability and bankruptcy cases. Collected and processed information in the representation of low-income clients.
Boardman
Band and Orchestra Parents Inc.
(September
2005- June 2008)Pro-active parent volunteer in an organization that provides fundraising, chaperone and support services benefiting the
REFERENCES ON REQUEST
