Journalism Experience
Freelance Writer | June 2014 – Present
Writing features on New York City real estate and the restaurant industry, including on restaurants’ and restaurant workers’ retail pivot during the pandemic, as well as the “Biography of a Building” series for New York Magazine, which won a 2021 American Society of Magazine Editors Award. Reported for New York Magazine on tracing the production chain of Gray’s Papaya hot dogs for a 2019 James Beard Award-winning package. Published work has also appeared in Eater, The Washington Post and The Atlantic, among others.
Senior News Assistant, The New York Times, New York, N.Y. | Nov. 2019 – July 2021
Proofreading daily over 30 articles and live briefings across multiple newsroom desks. Stringing for the Metro desk on breaking news and feature stories, including George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests and effects of the coronavirus across New York City. Editing for the print newspaper service-focused articles, Q. & A. interviews and Twitter threads by Times reporters, as well as news archives and summaries of the most-read daily articles.
News Assistant, The New York Times, New York, N.Y. | Aug. 2017 – Nov. 2019
Researched, reported, fact-checked, copy-edited, photo-edited and produced articles across multiple newsroom desks, including Lens, International and Express. Wrote forward-looking syntheses of news cycles such as Brexit and the Mueller investigation for the Weekend, Europe, Asia and Australia Morning Briefing newsletters, read by over 800,000 subscribers. Pitched and wrote features on the first zero-waste restaurant in New York and the proliferation of on-demand gig apps for restaurant workers.
Editorial Intern, Nautilus Magazine, New York, N.Y. | Sept. 2016 – May 2017
Researched, pitched, and reported features on the psychology of Internet troll culture and how sound stimulates plant growth. Fact-checked and proofread online and print features.
Education
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York, N.Y.
M.S. in Journalism, May 2016
Focused on foreign correspondence and narrative news writing, with coursework in local news reporting, and longform narrative nonfiction. Reported and filed enterprise news stories on transgender discrimination and economic gentrification. Received honors in core reporting class. Wrote a 5,000-word master’s project on the East New York Rezoning Plan and the Brooklyn’s middle class.
New York University, New York, N.Y.
B.A. double major in Philosophy and Economics, May 2015
Cum laude. Dean’s List for three years. Completed philosophy honors thesis and specialized in urban economic policy, including economics of city planning and rent theory. Additional coursework examined statistics, game theory, and pop culture criticism.
Additional Skills
Language: Conversant in Spanish.
Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, SocialFlow
Multimedia: Trained in audio and DSLR photography as well as editing software Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Audition. Background in WordPress and HTML. Reverse image and cached website searches.
Matthew Sedacca 