mARY nERSESSIAN

m.nersessian@sympatico.ca

www.marynersessian.com

 

professional profile

 

q  Qualified print and web journalist with seven years of experience at major media outlets including: The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, www.CTV.ca, The Independent (U.K.)

q  Copy editing, fact-checking, and proofreading experience in book publishing industry

q  Proficient with industry software: Microsoft Office, research databases (i.e. Lexis Nexis, Factiva), QuarkXPress and CopyDesk, Adobe Photoshop and Premiere, MAC and PC computers, CCI publishing system, web publishing tools and video encoding for websites

q  Bachelor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University in Toronto

 

professional experience

 

CTV NEWS ONLINE/ www.ctv.ca : Producer (News)                   11/2004 to present

q  Assigning, lining up, copy editing breaking news and in-depth features; repurposing copy and photos

q  Writing, editing, producing and designing content for special sites on events such as the Toronto International Film Festival, federal budgets and elections

 

FREELANCE WRITER/FACT-CHECKER/COPY EDITOR           2000 to Present

q  Freelance publication credits between 2000 to 2007 include: The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Quill & Quire, Wish magazine www.foodtv.ca (Food Network Canada website), The Scarborough Mirror, www.hero.ac.uk (U.K.’s official higher education website), Massive magazine (London, U.K.), Horizon Armenian Weekly

q  Freelance bi-weekly columnist in Toronto Star’s I.D. section on students, called College Daze (2003 to 2004)

 

FACT-CHECKER/COPY EDITOR           2000 to Present

q  Fact-checker, proofreader, copy editor for the 2007 Patron’s Pick Toronto’s Favourite Restaurants guidebook

q  Writer, copy editor, researcher, fact-checker for English copy in the accolade-winning bilingual guidebook The French Side of Toronto (published 2005)

q  Fact-checking and proofreading for Report on Business Magazine (2004)

 

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Staff Reporter                                        03/2004 to 09/2004

q  Reported for news, Globe Toronto, Focus, Style and Review sections

q  Reported breaking news, wrote headlines, decks and articles for www.globeandmail.com

 

TORONTO STAR: Staff Reporter                                                                 2002 to 2004

q  Reported for GTA section in radio room

q  Reported for www.thestar.ca online for breaking news overnight

q  Monitored emergency services scanners, wires and liaised with police and emergency services

 

FREELANCE PUBLIC RELATIONS                                                          2001 to 2005

q  Writing press releases, website content and preparing media contact lists for businesses such as Gold House Wholesalers and Computer Source Canada and literary agent Sam Hiyate

 

THE RYERSONIAN: Managing Editor                                                     01 to 02/2004

q  Delegated tasks and led meetings for 17-member staff, oversaw production of weekly paper using QuarkXPress

q  Reported, copy-edited and designed pages

 

THE INDEPENDENT (London, UK): Intern                                          02 to 03/2003

q  Reported and researched for news, sports, and travel desks

 

 

achievements AND SKILLS

q  2004 finalist for Canadian Association of Journalists/Canada NewsWire Student Award of Excellence for “A Tussle With Truffles” (appeared in Toronto Star, 2003)

q  Member of Golden Key Intl. Honour Society at Ryerson University 2000 to 2004

q  Recipient of Allama Iqbal Award of Excellence from Consulate General of Pakistan and CanPak Chamber of Commerce for article on Kashmir in 2003

 

Education AND TRAINING

 

q  Completed following post-graduate courses toward book publishing certificate at Ryerson University: Publishing Overview; Copy Editing for Books, Journals and Reports; Sales and Marketing for Book Publishers; Substantive and Line Editing (2004-2005). Currently taking Publishing in the Electronic Age.

q  Ryerson University in Toronto: Bachelor of Journalism, specialty in Newspaper Journalism, 2004 graduate of four-year program

q  Faculty of Journalism at City University in London, England: Winter/Spring 2003

q  Attended media law seminars with Toronto Star lawyer Bert Bruser, CTV consultant lawyer Grace Shafran, as well as numerous investigative journalism and internet research workshops

 

volunteer experience

q  Co-editor-in-chief of The Arts and Letters Club’s monthly LAMPSletter (2005-2006)

q  Copy-edited and wrote website and newsletter content for non-profit organizations such as Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (2003 to 2004)

q  Wrote press releases, formulated media contact list and contacted media on behalf of non-profit organizations such as Amnesty International Toronto and several Armenian community cultural organizations based in Toronto (2000 to present)

q  Volunteer at Toronto’s Word on the Street festival for three years

interests and affiliations

q  Speak and write fluent Armenian, currently working to improve French and Bulgarian

q  Enthusiastic traveller (Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland)

 

references and writing samples available upon request