ALISON BETHEL MCKENZIE

+1 202-403-9256 or +1 242-456-8478 ~

Facebook ~ Twitter (@bethelmckenzie) ~ LinkedIn ~ www.alisonbethelmckenzie.com

SUMMARY

I am a veteran journalist with 35 years experience in the media industry. I know traditional and I know digital. My career has taken me to all but two of the world’s seven continents and my view of the media and the business of media has evolved. I am smart, funny, a team player, a trainer, excellent public speaker and skilled manager. My goal: to work as part of a team committed to excellence and giving something back to the community. What I bring to the table: A wealth of experience – both domestically and globally, commitment to excellence, passion and loyalty, a Rolodex full of contacts and a little laughter and music to keep it all in perspective.

EXPERIENCE

VISITING PROF. Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (Bangalore) July 2016-May 2017

Visiting Professor of Print & Investigative Journalism for the 2016-2017 academic year at one of India’s leading journalism graduate programs, located in the suburbs of Bangalore. Aside from lecturing and overseeing the Institute’s twice weekly newspaper, I also served as a guest speaker at universities and colleges throughout the country, usually addressing the topic of press freedom.

EXPERT MEDIA CONSULTANT/TRAINER Dec. 2014 to present

Work for various media clients in the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, advising them on best journalistic practices, investigative journalism, management and digital first issues; provide training on a number of topics, including social media, advertising, public relations and marketing; organize events and advocacy campaigns and perform grant writing. ALSO, served as media expert on the issue of online harassment of female journalists, presenting a report on the subject for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media. Led panel discussion on the topic at a symposium in Belgrade organized by OSCE Serbia.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR International Press Institute (Vienna) Aug 2009-December 2014

Responsible for proper function and sustainability of non-profit, including, but not limited to fundraising, staff issues, budget planning, assisting in coordination of press freedom missions to various parts of the world as well as training of journalists on best practices, conflict sensitive journalism and media self regulation. Supervised marketing and digital media issues. Liaise with board of directors; Oversaw budget of $1.4 million. Served as publisher and editor of several training publications and two coffee table books. Of note: Was the organization’s first female director. (Managed staff of 14; reported to 28-member board)

KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM FELLOW (Ghana) April 2008-April 2009

Mentored and trained journalists in Accra, Ghana for International Center for Journalists (Washington, D.C.) on various issues pertaining to improving their journalism and management skills and particularly on political coverage in advance of the country's December 2008 presidential election; also co-host of weekly radio talk show on the media and politics and Managing Editor, Canoe Quarterly magazine.

MANAGING DIRECTOR Nassau Guardian (Bahamas) April-September 2007

Supervised editorial staff of columnists, editors, reporters, graphic and page designers, web page staff, correspondents/freelancers and photographers; also spent a month in China training and working with journalists as part of a Caribbean media delegation. I left the position, along with other top management, when the paper merged with its competition. (Managed staff of 80)

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Legal Times (Washington, D.C.) June 2006-March 2007

Supervised reporters for a weekly covering the legal community in Washington. Assigned stories, edited copy, wrote headlines, designed pages, recruited staff. (Managed staff of 36)

WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF The Detroit News (D.C.) June 2001-June 2006

Supervised reporters and a columnist covering the White House, the Michigan congressional delegation and the auto industry. Also appeared on several television programs including the BBC, BET, MSNBC, Fox News and several local programs. (Managed staff of 7)

FEATURES EDITOR The Detroit News 2000 to 2001

Supervised a staff of 43, producing daily news feature sections and five weekly special sections on food, home and garden, kids, weekend entertainment and music. (Managed staff of 42)

DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR / SR. ASSISTANT CITY EDITOR The Boston Globe 1995 to 2000

Supervised a reporting staff that covered City Hall, urban affairs and transportation. Also served as Deputy Business Editor at the paper for about a year and a half and briefly as one of the paper’s gossip columnists. (Managed staff of 7)

ALSO: Day City Editor, The Detroit News, 1993-1995; Assistant Business Editor, The Poughkeepsie Journal, 1992-93; Reporter, Times Herald-Record (Newburgh, N.Y.), 1990-92; Reporter, The State-Times (defunct, Baton Rouge, La.), 1988-1990.

BOARD MEMBERSHIPS

Media Institute of the Caribbean vice president 2015 to present

Lyndsay Renea Dance Theatre (Ohio) vice president 2015 to present

AlJazeera America 2014 to 2016

Center for International Media Ethics (advisory board member) 2011 to present

MEMBERSHIP

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), NABJ Global Task Force (vice-chair), National Press Club (Washington, D.C.), Southern Foodways Alliance,, American Women’s Club, FAUSA (alumnae arm of the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas)

GUEST LECTURER/ INSTRUCTOR

State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, Howard University (Washington, D.C.), Pennsylvania State University, University of Maryland, University of The Bahamas and Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (IIJNM); U.S. Embassies in Ghana, Zambia and Austria. Also, African University College of Communications (Lagos, Nigeria), Nigeria Institute of Journalism, International Academy of Journalism (Hamburg, Germany), College of the City of Vienna; colleges throughout India, including in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderbad.

FORMAL EDUCATION

Candidate - M.B.A., Media Leadership, University of Cumbria (U.K.) in collaboration with Robert F. Kennedy College (Switzerland); expected completion: December 2017

Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, 2011-2012. Courses included: “Expanding Impact: Non-Governmental Organization Legitimacy, Advocacy & Partnerships” (in Madrid) and “Strategic Management for Leaders of Non-Governmental |Organizations”

Professional certificate in Microsoft Publisher and web design using Dreamweaver and Front Page, IPMC (Ghana, West Africa), January-April 2009

Howard University (Washington, D.C.), School of Communications,1984-1988. Major: Journalism; Minor: Theater