Mary Ellen Slayter

EXPERIENCE

The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.

COPY EDITOR, FINANCIAL DESK, May 2004-present

• Edit stories and graphics for grammar, clarity and accuracy; write headlines.
• Fill in as needed for Washington Business and Real Estate copy chief, supervising three-person weekend staff.
• Serve as late editor and Sunday duty editor as needed, including representing the Financial desk at budget meetings.
• Compile daily business brief file from staff and wire stories.
• Build stock agate pages using CCI.

CAREER TRACK COLUMNIST, February 2002-present

• Write Career Track, a biweekly career advice columnist targeted at young professionals.
• Host Career Track Live, a biweekly live chat on Washingtonpost.com.
• Write Off the Beaten Career Path, a monthly feature on unusual jobs.

PART-TIME COPY EDITOR, December 2000-May 2004

• Filled in as needed on National, KidsPost, Sunday Source, Metro weeklies and Foreign desks.
• Wrote freelance stories for Travel, Real Estate, Sunday Business and KidsPost sections.

Hagerstown Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, Md.

COPY EDITOR, October 2000-December 2000

• Edited stories and graphics; wrote headlines.
• Designed five to 10 pages daily, including A1, using Quark.
• Selected and edited wire stories for inside pages.

The Montgomery Journal, Rockville, Md.

COPY EDITOR, October 1999-October 2000

• Edited stories and graphics; wrote headlines.
• Designed five to 10 pages daily, including A1, using Euromax.
• Participated in daily news budget meetings.
• Selected and edited wire stories for inside pages.

The Daily Reveille, Baton Rouge, La.

COPY EDITOR, August 1996-December 1996

• Edited stories and graphics; wrote headlines.
• Compiled daily briefs from international and national news of interest to college students.

The Minden Press-Herald, Washington, D.C.

REPORTER, May 1995-January 1996

• Filed daily feature and hard news stories on parish government, local schools and religion.
• Designed five to 10 inside pages daily using Quark.
• Edited sports stories.

EDUCATION

University of Maryland, College Park, Journalism, M.J. candidate, Fall 2005

• Eleanor Merrill Fellow.
• 3.8 GPA.
• Covered Maryland delegation at 2004 Democratic National Convention for Capital News Service.

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Agronomy, B.S., 1999

• National Merit Scholar.
• 3.0 GPA.

ASSOCIATIONS

American Copy Editors Society

• Breaking In: Planning a Career in Copy Editing, presentation at 2005 national convention in Hollywood.
• Now Listen Up!, panel with Phil Blanchard at 2004 national convention in Houston.
• Attended 2000 national convention in Baltimore.

CONTACT
maryslayter@gmail.com

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