My name is Jasmine Demers and I am a multimedia journalist and storyteller. I am currently serving as an investigative reporter for the Kentucky Center for an Investigative Reporting, a service of Louisville Public Media. Follow me on social media to see more of my work!

Experience

Investigative Reporter, Report for America Corps Member (June 2021 - Present)

Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting - Louisville Public Media

• Cover youth, social services and legislative accountability in Kentucky

Local Government Reporter (May 2019 – May 2021)

Arizona Daily Star – Tucson, AZ

Previous positions held: Science reporter

• Contribute enterprise, features and daily news stories as a watchdog reporter for one of Arizona’s largest counties

• Became a leader of Southern Arizona’s COVID-19 coverage and broke the story of Pima County’s first fatal coronavirus case

Features Apprentice (Jan. 2019 – May 2019)

Arizona Daily Star – Tucson, AZ

• Covered music and theatre for the features/entertainment section and wrote one story per week

• Produced two cover pieces for the features section and two A1 stories

Editor-in-Chief (May 2018 – May 2019)

The Daily Wildcat – University of Arizona

Previous positions held: Arts & Life co-editor

• Managed a staff of more than 100 editors, reporters, photographers and designers

• Managed day-to-day operations and content production, serving an audience of 61,000 students, faculty and staff and more than 1 million digital unique visitors annually

• Created diversity officer position to identify potential issues within paper’s coverage and to ensure that we were accurately reflecting the voices of our audience

Student Communications Specialist (Feb. 2018 – Aug. 2018)

Department of Soil, Water & Environmental Science – University of Arizona

• Developed a strategic marketing communications plan that increased social media following

• Produced website content, practiced science communication in the form of blogs/newsletters

Student Affairs Marketing & Promotions Assistant (Jan. 2015 - Oct. 2016)

Dean of Students Office - California State University San Marcos

• Developed a strategic marketing plan and editorial calendar to promote student programming

• Developed content for social media and increased audience by nearly 100% over one year

• Produced and published promotional event articles and student spotlights

Managing Editor (Aug. 2014 - May 2016)

The Cougar Chronicle - California State University San Marcos

Previous positions held: News Editor, Editorial Assistant

• Managed and supervised the news, arts & entertainment, web & social media, community outreach and video teams

• Redesigned branding, newspaper layout and website, increasing campus readership by 40%

Awards

Best news story - First place (2020)

Arizona Newspapers Association - Better Newspapers Contest

For a co-written story about rising COVID-19 cases and deaths in Arizona nursing homes

Best news story - Second Place (2020)

Arizona Newspapers Association - Better Newspapers Contest

For a story about Tucson’s first COVID-19 fatality and her family’s mourning

Statewide science reporting - Second place (2020)

Arizona Press Club

Phillip Mangelsdorf Award for Outstanding Newsperson of the Year (2019)

University of Arizona, School of Journalism

An award to recognize top reporter/journalist in the School of Journalism

Douglas Martin Award for Courage and Integrity (2019)

University of Arizona, School of Journalism

This award recognizes students who show courage or stand up to the powers that be

Education 

The University of Arizona 

M.A., journalism (Graduated May 2019)

Global journalism emphasis

California State University San Marcos

B.A, communication (Graduated May 2016)