Sam McCann |
Work Experience
March 2022 - Present – Senior Writer – Vera Institute of Justice
- Pitch, research, conduct interviews, and write articles for Vera’s website.
- Published 37 articles in 2 years that understand current and historic issues in the legal system and advance the organization’s strategic goals. Tailor content for press pickup.
- Build and maintain relationships with sources who have been harmed by the criminal legal system, as well as with researchers, public defenders, prosecutors, and legislators.
- Coordinate with Vera’s programmatic experts and media teams. Support the production of multimedia content for Vera’s channels.
February 2019 - March 2022 – Communications Specialist – Neighborhood Defender Service
- Managed all public facing communications across Harlem, Detroit, and national offices, including media relations, press releases, op-eds, interviews, reports, infographics, digital, social media, and development.
- Developed and implemented media strategy to build the organization’s political presence while also serving individual clients.
- Identified strategic opportunities to advance public support for criminal, civil, and family defense priorities.
- Led campaigns, including the 2021 push to decarcerate Rikers, coordinating a sustained effort that dominated news cycles and garnered national press coverage.
- Wrote and placed dozens of op-eds, maintained relationships with NYC and Detroit press, wrote and distributed press releases, pitched stories, and managed all client-press interactions.
- Designed graphics, ran social media platforms, managed website, and organized fundraising events. Oversaw a 4x growth in web traffic and a surge in fundraising.
September 2018 - Present – Freelance Political Media – Writer/Researcher
- Contract work for various organizations, including:
- 2023: The first report on The Bronx Defenders’ LGBTQ Defense Project.
- 2018 - 2019: Political media projects with Matt Taibbi and RootsAction.
- 2018: Worked as a researcher on Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9, conducting interviews and contributing to editorial strategy.
March 2016 - February 2018 – International Center for Transitional Justice – Communications Associate, English Online
- Planned, produced, and distributed written and multimedia features on transitional justice efforts worldwide.
- Profiled activists, produced long-form analyses, conducted interviews, and placed op-eds.
January 2014 - March 2016 – Royal Oak Foundation – Communications Associate
- Generated 50% year-on-year growth in web traffic.
- Maintained a consistent 35 - 40 percent email open rate.
- More than doubled social media reach.
May 2011 - August 2011 – Institute for Public Accuracy – Intern
- Compiled and edited news releases highlighting progressive voices on relevant news topics in an effort to diversify mainstream media coverage.
- Served as a liaison between these voices and interested journalists.
May 2010 - August 2010 – Media Matters for America – Intern
- Monitored and reported on pundits like Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson. Clips I identified as inflammatory were distributed through MMfA website and picked up by major media outlets.
Selected Projects
2017 - Present – Democratic Socialists of America – Volunteer Organizer
- Served as co-chair of the Queens Electoral Working Group. Managed candidate recruitment over multiple cycles.
- Served on the core team for Zohran Mamdani’s 2020 State Assembly campaign, and was a lead organizer on multiple electoral campaigns between 2019 and present.
- Also worked on the 2018 fight against Amazon.
2023 – The LGBTQ Defense Project: How The Bronx Defenders Redefines LGBTQ Legal Representation – Writer
- Conceptualized, interviewed, and wrote long-form report on LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders, the first such specialty in the country.
2017 - 2018 – Autopsy: The Democratic Party in Crisis – Writer and Researcher
- Contributed the chapter on “Race and the Party” in a study of the Democratic Party’s 2016 electoral campaigns. Autopsy was the cover story of The Nation.
- Subsequently wrote a follow up in 2018, also published in The Nation, tracking the party’s progress on these issues.
- Participated in press interviews promoting Autopsy.
2017 - 2018 – Bad Blues: House Democrats Who Deserve to be Primaried – Writer and Researcher
- Co-wrote an analysis of primary targets in the 2020 Democratic Party to yield a more progressive legislature.
Education
September 2008 - May 2012 – Ithaca College – B.A., Journalism
- Roy H. Park School of Communications
- Awarded the Park Scholarship, a full merit scholarship based on academics and service
Skills
- Writing and editing
- Movement strategy
- Interviewing
- Press relations and pitching
- Policy advocacy
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Project management
- Adobe CreativeSuite, with extensive graphic design experience
- WordPress and basic HTML
- MailChimp, Constant Contact, and other email marketing platforms
- Research platforms such as LexisNexis and JSTOR
- Data tracking through Google Analytics
- Cision and other press relations tools
- Audio and video shooting and editing
- Microsoft Office Suite and the GSuite
- Donor tracking through Raiser’s Edge