Resume

Download:Charu Gupta CV 12-08-10.pdf

EDUCATION            

Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism, New York, N.Y.

M.S., Journalism, May 2002 

University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

B.A., Philosophy, June 1995

 EXPERIENCE

Director of Communications

Empowering & Strengthening Ohio's People, Cleveland, Ohio

February 2009 - Present

Create and manage communications strategy, including social media, for foreclosure and financial services counseling and community organizing non-profit. Provide strategic consulting on policy and organizational goals. Conduct message development and strategic communications around targeted media campaigns.

·         Promoted state and federal policy prescriptions to the  foreclosure crisis by working with coalition partners, launching issue-based website, and conducting "hyperlocal" media campaign designed to target and influence state legislators in positions to move desired legislation.

·         Created social media infrastructure (blog, websites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and content execution schedule.

·         Wrote winning application for Board President's 2010 Purpose Prize, a national award for social entrepreneurs over 60.

·         Researched and wrote testimony for executive director to give at state and federal-level hearings.

·         Produced video narratives to communicate messages to diverse audiences.

·         Developed custom storybank, media contact lists and mass email marketing templates and managed news media relations.

·    Audited Communications Department needs and created infrastructure to meet organizational goals.

·    Planned message, design themes and program content for annual Gala.

·    Designed, implemented and analyzed pre- and post-service surveys to capture data on and effectiveness of communications activities.

 

Communications Consultant

Asian Services in Action, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

May 2010 - Present

Identify communications needs, opportunities and resources for non-profit providing health access and other services to immigrants. Execute multi-media communications packages around discreet events.

·    Delivered communications around 2010 statewide "Legislative Day of Action," including pre- and post-event press releases and dedicated web page with short videos, photos and narrative.

 

Staff Writer

Cleveland Free Times (merged with Cleveland Scene as of July 2008), Cleveland, Ohio

June 2005 to February 2009

Wrote award-winning investigative and feature stories. Subjects included energy, criminal justice, foreclosure/financial crisis, and economic development. (See below for awards.)

 Stringer           

Time Magazine

November 2008

Served as the national magazine's Ohio reporter for Election Day 2008. Along with a team of national reporters, wrote real-time dispatches for a 24-hour live blog.

 

Freelance Journalist

The Progressive, Cleveland Magazine, Catalyst-Cleveland,

Cleveland Free Times and Cleveland Scene

October 2003 - July 2005

 

Writing Consultant

KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio

March 2003 - May 2005

Observed education reforms in public schools (funded by the Gates Foundation) and wrote narratives on how teachers, principals and students reacted to and dealt with the changes.                                              

AWARDS

2009 Best of Ohio Journalism Awards, Society of Professional Journalists
(Print Winners, Newspapers, circ. over 100,000)

Best Consumer Reporting
FIRST PLACE: "Broken," by Charu Gupta, The Cleveland Free Times

Best Newsmaker Profile
FIRST PLACE: "Mason's Mean Machine," by Charu Gupta (Lead Writer) and James Renner, Cleveland Scene

Best Public Service Journalism
FIRST PLACE: "Conventional Wisdom," by Charu Gupta, Cleveland Scene 

2008 Excellence in Journalism Awards - Press Club of Cleveland

Best Community/Local Coverage

FIRST PLACE for two-part series:

"Suspect Down: The Death of Brandon McCloud," and "Within the Bounds of Law: A Teenager Is Killed, and a By-the-book Investigation Leaves Many Unsatisfied," by Charu Gupta, The Cleveland Free Times

 

2007 Best of Ohio Journalism Awards, Society of Professional Journalists

Best Criminal Justice Reporting

SECOND PLACE: "Man of the Streets: Anton Billings' Unconventional Methods for Steering Kids Away from Gangs Made Him A Hero To Many. But Police Say He Went Too Far," by Charu Gupta, The Cleveland Free Times

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

20^th Annual Fair Lending Conference, October 2010

Delivered Capstone lecture to daylong "Rise of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau" conference.

2010 Ken Blanchard Companies: Situational Leadership^® II Management Training 

Philip L. Graham Minority Scholarship, 2008, Investigative Reporters and Editors 

Panel Moderator, 2007, "Save The American Dream: Foreclosure Crisis In Ohio," hosted by Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP

Led discussion on mortgage crisis, housing policy and foreclosure prevention with Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ray Pianka, Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Ohio Assistant Attorney General James Boyle.

Grant Recipient, 2006, for Cleveland Media Literacy Project, Cleveland Foundation/Neighborhood Connections

Received $5,000 to teach low-income, inner-city youth how to critically analyze a wide range of media messages. Partnered with a Cleveland community center's after-school program to reach junior and high school students

Presenter, 2005, "Hurricane Katrina and its Aftermath," Oberlin College Symposium

Analyzed media coverage of Hurricane Katrina with an eye on disaster reporting, community reporting, and race.

OTHER LANGUAGES
Hindi - fluent; Spanish - proficient

 RELATED EXPERIENCE

Police/Criminal Justice Reporter

The Scranton Times Tribune, Scranton, Penn

January 2003 - October 2003 

Metro Reporter/Intern

The Anniston Star, Anniston, Ala.

June 2002 - September 2002   

Book Scout/Literary Agent

Alison M. Bond Agency, New York, N.Y.

October 2008 - March 2000 

Editorial Intern

Village Voice Literary Supplement, New York, N.Y.

June 1998 - September 2008     

Writer/Consulting Editor
Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, Minn.

October 1997 - June 1998 

Marketing Assistant

Software Moguls, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minn.

January 1996 - June 1997 

Research Assistant

Anthropology of Dance Professor, India

September 1995 - March 1996

References available upon request.