Resume

 

“Great writing is more than prose – it’s the idea. Hyatt serves up
stories with an unusual twist.”

—Alliance of Area Business Publications

I’m a writer, an editor and a journalism evangelist. I’ve built freeways in California, tended bar in Ireland, and worked construction in New York City. I’ve worked at alt weeklies, daily papers and news magazines. I’m the creator of Digital Journalism Portland. Currently I work as the managing editor at ReadWriteWeb, one of the top technology news blogs in the world.

Speaking • Job History • Awards •


ReadWriteWeb
Production Editor/Managing Editor, 2009-present

I was hired in 2009 as ReadWriteWeb’s first production editor; in June 2011 I was promoted as the first managing editor.

Digital Journalism Portland
Creator/Organizer: 2009-2012

In 2009 I created Digital Journalism Portland – one of Oregon’s first independent journalism organizations. Over the next two and a half years, I organized and ran two conferences, eight social hour presentations and a job board. The combined head count for the conferences was approximately 250 people; peak traffic at the DJP site journopdx.com was over 2,400 pageviews a month. I disbanded the organization in January 2012.

  • Handled every aspect of the conferences. Developed a targeted series of session topics, and selected and organized 40 panelists, speakers and moderators from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.
  • Established multiple conference sponsorships with organizations like the University of Oregon, Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian, the largest news organization in the Pacific Northwest. Created sponsorship packages and ensured those agreements were met.
  • Conducted social media outreach; created, hosted and updated journopdx.com; produced and edited promotional videos; wrote in-house and external promotional materials; and conducted software giveaways.

Oregon Business magazine, 25,000 capped circulation, Portland, Ore.
Associate Editor: 2007, Managing Editor: 2008-2009

In 2009, Oregon Business was named one of the top three business magazines in the country by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

  • Worked with the magazine’s small team of editors from story idea generation through final production to create a magazine that challenged the traditional definition of business journalism. Initiated, researched and wrote award-winning, long-form analytical stories. Helped develop year-long editorial calendars.
  • Updated the magazine’s site daily and reviewed dozens of newspaper, broadcaster and news sites to generate content for the news aggregator. Designed and launched a daily digital newsletter project. Helped conceive and institute a massive redesign of the magazine.

The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune, 45,000 daily circulation, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Reporter: 2005-2006

As a reporter for the region’s largest daily paper, I covered a small, highly dysfunctional government agency charged with building one of the most expensive per-capita public works projects in the nation. My aggressive coverage included A1 investigations into the agency’s fiscal irregularities, its relationship with the state, and its eventual path to bankruptcy – the second most expensive municipal bankruptcy in California history.

  • Analyzed complex scientific and governmental data and quickly turned it into accessible stories that affected local and state politics. Used investigative journalism to look at tax evasion by nonprofit organizations, and local cities who ignored public record laws, a project featured by Investigative Editors and Reporters.

New Times (San Luis Obispo), 40,000 weekly circulation, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Staff writer: 2003-2005

Santa Maria Sun, 20,000 weekly circulation, Santa Maria, Calif.
Reporter: 2002, Arts and Entertainment Editor: 2002-2003

Awards:

Magazine of the Year (circ. under 80,000): Honorable Mention, 2009, Oregon Business magazine, American Society of Business Publication Editors. “Everything a regional publication should be. Local coverage without boosterism and in the context of national economic concerns.”

Reporting of Government: First place for “State of Addiction,” 2009, Society of Professional Journalists, Oregon/SW Washington

Best Feature, Silver for “Tribes 2.0,” 2008, Alliance of Area Business Publications. “Placing the economic development efforts of Oregon’s Native Americans within a historical context, the author crafted a narrative that moved beyond the obvious story of tribal involvement in resorts and casinos.”

Best body of Work, Single Writer: Bronze, 2008, Alliance of Area Business Publications. “Great writing is more than prose – it’s the idea. Hyatt serves up stories with an unusual twist – such as how Native American tribes are moving beyond casinos to become major players in economic development, or how Oregon colleges are fighting back against the oppression of national rankings.”

Business News: First pace for “Trouble at sea,” 2008, Society of Professional Journalists, Oregon/SW Washington

Business Feature: Second place for “Tribes 2.0,” 2008, Society of Professional Journalists, Oregon/SW Washington

Speaking

Oregon Arts Summit 2010
Oregon Arts Commission
Portland, Ore. Oct. 07, 2010
Panelist: Innovation = Survival: Lessons from the Field of Journalism

Alaska Press Club J-Week 2010 Conference
Alaska Press Club
Anchorage, Alaska, May 6-8, 2010
Presenter: The New Newsroom, Good And Bad
Presenter: The Newsroom Of The Future
Presenter: New Web Tools For Journalists

CASE District 8 Annual Conference
Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
Portland, Ore., Feb. 18, 2010
Presenter: We Are the Media: You and the Emerging New Journalism

We Make The Media
Portland, Ore., Nov. 21, 2009
Presenter: The Viability of the Nonprofit Journalism Model

Building a Better Journalist
Society of Professional Journalists, University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication
Eugene, Oregon, Oct. 24, 2009
Panelist: A Sidebar on Business Models; The Future of Journalism

 

Activities:

  • Investigative Reporters and Editors: 2004-present

Presenter:

Guest Lecturer, journalism:

  • Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, Calif.: Dec. 2002, April 2003, Oct. 2004, April 2005
  • California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.: Jan., May 2006
  • University of California at Santa Cruz: April 2006