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Jeff Kidd
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Professional info
Jeff Kidd is an editor and journalist working for The (Hilton Head) Island Packet and The Beaufort (SC) Gazette, newspapers owned by McClatchy Newspapers. His mission is to bring the type of news coverage and innovation expected of mid- and large-market media to his small markets. Click the audio players for descriptions in Jeff's voice.
Work experience
Managing Editor — The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette
April 2009 - present; Bluffton, SC
Daily newspapers owned by McClatchy Newspapers, serving Beaufort and Jasper counties, SC. Circulation 20,000 and 11,000, respectively. Oversees daily operations for a staff of more than 30 that produces two newspapers and a website. Duties include direct supervision of news reporters and section editors. Writes regular editorials and a blog, project reporting as needed.
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Editor — The Beaufort Gazette
​October 2008 to March 2009; Beaufort, SC
Ran daily newsroom operation for newspaper/website, including news reporters’ assignments and supervision of Packet/Gazette merged sports department. Ran daily budget meetings. Primarily responsible for hiring news reporters and editors. Planned long-term projects. Planned workflow, news beat assignments and other logistics for a merger of Gazette and Packet Newsrooms
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Ran the merged sports departments of the Packet and Gazette, the first fully integrated reporting effort by the two newspapers. Reorganized beat structure and job descriptions, reformatted page templates to accommodate and retain best features of both newspapers' spots sections. Oversaw all aspects of department operation, including scheduling for eight-person staff and part-time stringers. Maintained a regular beat, designed pages and worked a regular night-desk shift. Tracked coverage trends.
Sports Editor — The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette
July 2008 to September 2008; Bluffton, SC
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Sports Editor — The Island Packet
June 2000 to July 2008
Managed all aspects of a daily sports section, including assignments and scheduling for five full-time staffers and several stringers, photo and graphic assignments, section budgeting, long-range planning and website development. Maintained a regular beat, designed pages and kept a regular night-desk shift. Tracked coverage trends. Department consistently recognized as among the state and nation's best in its circulation category.
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Sports Editor — The Beaufort Gazette
August 1997 to May 2000; Beaufort, SC
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Sports Writer — The Beaufort Gazette
October 1992 to July 1997; Beaufort, SC
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At the time, owned by The State-Record Company, then Knight-Ridder Newspapers; circ. 110,000.
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Other Relevant Experience
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Frequent guest on weekly television talk show segment for WJWJ News, ETV affiliate in Beaufort, S.C. , now defunct (1999-2005)
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News Editor, State Government Reporter, The Carolina Reporter, the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications’ weekly, senior-semester practicum newspaper (spring 1991)
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Customer-service representative, The State newspaper (1991-92)
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Stringer, The Richland Northeast Weekly, now defunct (1985-87)
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Author of self-published book, The Total Hitter. Baseball instructional book was written primarily as a writing exercise but was marketed and sold through some retail outlets.
Relevant skills
Story development, managing deadlines, line editing, website development and planning, cooperating and coordinating work across departments, print page design, staff development and evaluations, running copy desk, hiring
Software
Proficient in:
InDesign; Baseview’s NewsEdit ProIQue; QuarkExpress; Apple and Microsoft operating systems

Functional in:
Adobe PhotoShop; iMovie; Audacity; Aperture; iPhoto; iWeb; PowerPoint; Google Docs, including presentations, spreadsheets and forms; Keynote; iTunes; Microsoft Word; Tumult Hype; photography shooting Canon equipment

Familiar with social and mobile media:
Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn premium, Pinterest; YouTube; Spotify; Skype; TweetDeck; Hootsuite; Android phones; Storify; Tumblr, Google +; Instagram; Cinemagram; Vine; JustinTV; CoverItLive; Prezi
Activities & Affiliations
Active:
Board member, Beaufort History Museum
Leadership committee, Leadership Beaufort Alumni Association
Board member, Beaufort Smiles for a Lifetime

​Former:
Steering committee, Beaufort Three-Century Project
Board member, Bluffton Family YMCA (now-defunct branch of Wardle Family YMCA)
Member, Golf Writers of America
Member, Associated Press Sports Editors
Organizer, The Beaufort Gazette’s Adopt-A-Highway group

​Occassional:
Contest judge for APSE, S.C. Press Association, Community Newspapers, Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce CIVITAS Awards
Moderated various community and political forums
References
Available upon request. You also can see my recommendations and endorsements if we are linked on LinkedIn.
2010 - present
2010 - present
Education
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
Graduated in May 1992 cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, and The South Carolina Honors College. Cognate in political science. Eight semesters on Dean’s List, one semester on President’s List (3.67 GPA.)
Continuing education
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Participant, Poynter Institute workshops for reporting, page design, smartphone videography and newsroom leadership
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Participant, Freedom Forum diversity seminar
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Various company training in search-engine optimization, investigative and online reporting, personnel management