I’m Kelli!

Welcome to my journalism web portfolio where you can find my resume, published work and new articles.

I grew up in southeast  Michigan in a small town called Beverly Hills.  (I promise that it is a real place.) At eight years old  I was certain I  wanted to be a taxi cab driver, a veterinarian, or a checkout girl. Though, as I got older – and lost my childhood fascination with price scanners – my interests changed and by the time I started high school I was enamored with writing.

In high school, I took far more English classes than necessary and  worked on our news magazine The Scriptor, eventually becoming managing and opinion editor. These experiences and some very supportive parents encouraged me to move to New York City and pursue a career in journalism at New York University. Now, in my final year at NYU, I am completing my double major in Journalism and Cinema Studies in May. Throughout college I have had the opportunity to intern and write for web and print publications, including The Frisky.com, CNN, BBC America, and The Oakland Press.

Today, even though I am in the perfect city to become a cab driver, I am dedicated to working in journalism.

CONTACT

For any inquiries or interest about this site, my work or job opportunities please contact me at :

kellibrettbender@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

For more information you can also find me on the Web at:

Twitter
Linkedin

5 Smart Ways to Avoid A Werewolf Attack: Fun list piece tied to MTV’s new show “Teen Wolf.” The post appeared on MTV’s Remote Control Blog. (Web |PDF)

10 Kids Who Are Outshining Their Famous Fathers: Father’s Day celebrity slideshow for The Frisky, taking a look at kids who becoming more successful than their famous dads. (Web | PDF)

Taxidermy Trend: 3 Celebrities Who Collect a Different Kind of Stuffed Animal: Humorous list piece published on Yahoo’s OMG!, discussing three different celebs who have admitted to loving taxidermy animals. (Web | PDF)

RESUME

For more details visit my LinkedIn page or download my resume as a PDF.

Please contact me for my references or with any questions.

WEB EXPERIENCE

BERMANBRAUN, NEW YORK, NY | (September 2011 – Present)

Freelance Junior Editor Assisted in launching and managing online media for the company, including brainstorming recurring features and writing articles for several properties. Responsible for planning creative ways to drive traffic to emerging websites.

MTV REMOTE CONTROL BLOG, NEW YORK, NY | (June 2011 – Present)

Paid Contributor Wrote three posts a week regarding MTV’s popular television programs, including “Teen Wolf,” “Jersey Shore” and “Real World.” Drove new users to the site with engaging and entertaining articles that offered a unique perspective on MTV shows.

THE FRISKY.COM, NEW YORK, NY | (August 2010 – January 2011)

Paid Contributor Brainstormed, compiled and created 5-10 posts and web slideshows a week on topics such as current pop culture and personal essays, ten of which were picked up by partner CNN Entertainment. Responsible for producing monthly column “This Month In Lady Mags” and weekly columns “Tabloid Cheat Sheet” and “Frisky Reader Revealed.” Edited, coded, and prepared photos for all contributions.

THE FRISKY.COM, NEW YORK, NY | (January – August 2010)

Entertainment Intern Assisted the entertainment section of the site with all aspects of the editorial process.  Edited, pitched ideas, wrote posts, and coded articles for the web that featured content on celebrities, movies, TV, fashion, and relationships. Helped to create the site’s first info-graphic.

BBC AMERICA, NEW YORK, NY | (August 2008 – May 2009)

Digital Media Intern Reviewed original television programs and wrote show descriptions for the web version of BBC America. Compared the channel’s TV market against competitors to find new audiences and media platforms.

PRINT EXPERIENCE

COSMOPOLITAN, NEW YORK, NY | (August – December 2009)

Editorial Intern Helped multiple editors ready their work for the magazine. Fact checked, researched, interviewed, polled, and transcribed for a variety articles, which included cover stories and health features. Conducted 15-20 on-the-street interviews for published polls and confessions.

THE OAKLAND PRESS, PONTIAC, MI | (June – August 2008)

Summer Intern and Reporter for Metro Section (Paid) Wrote 20-25 articles for daily paper that varied between profile pieces, coverage of local happenings and community news.  Interviewed sources, attended events, arranged photo shoots and conducted research to fulfill assignments. Received bylines for all articles, including several front page pieces.

BIRMINGHAM ECCENTRIC, BIRMINGHAM, MI | (February – June 2007)

Contributor Member of the newspaper’s Teen Journalism Panel. Wrote five articles about current news, trends, and personal experience catered to a young adult audience. Edited fellow panel members’ pieces for publication and assisted in brainstorming ideas for the publication.

EDUCATION

New York University, New York, NY | Current GPA. 3.7

Bachelor’s Degree: Double Major in Journalism and Cinema Studies | Honors Scholar | May 2011

Relevant Coursework: Journalistic Inquiry, History of the Media,  Celebrity Culture, Rise of the Web, Advanced Cinema Seminar: Media and Fashion, Advanced Reporting: Media and Culture

HONORS

• Michigan Interscholastic Press Award for Music Review and Editorial Cartoon
• Detroit Free Press Commendation for Feature Writing
• Altrusa Club of Greater Birmingham Scholarship

SKILLS

• Proficient with Mac and PC platforms; Microsoft Office, Adobe Pagemaker, Adobe Photoshop
• Experience writing for the web including; HTML Coding, Expression Engine, WordPress
• Conversational Spanish speaker, ability to read and write in the language at an intermediate level.

Return to Home

Web:

The Frisky: Between my internship and freelance positions at The Frisky, I produced over 300 posts for the site. These clips include personal essays, photo slide shows, short articles and columns touching on a range of entertainment- based subject matter – from Brad Pitt’s beard to television’s affect on relationships.

CNN: As a partner of the Frisky, CNN chose several of my pieces from the site, based on the articles’ ability to attract readers, to run in their entertainment section.

Print:

Oakland Press: At the county-wide, daily Michigan paper I interned at the metro desk and wrote coverage of local events, profiles and several front page pieces.

Birmingham Eccentric: Wrote opinion pieces for a teenage audience on issues such as mass media’s representation of mental illness and the status of the American dream.

All clips are available in web or PDF formats. Click on the link of the format wanted to be taken to the correct version.

To see all of my work featured on CNN, visit the network’s website.

“‘Valentine’s Day’ promotion gets ‘de-gayed’.” (Web |PDF) Article examining the removal of homosexual characters and storylines from movie advertising. Between the Frisky and CNN this piece received over 100 comments and inspired an article on film website Cinematical.

“Sexism and stereotypes in ‘Toy Story 3?’” (Web |PDF) Opinion piece confronting and examining the argument that “Toy Story 3″ was a sexist film. Overall, this post accumulated over 200 likes on Facebook and was featured in the “most commented” section on The Frisky.

” ‘Gossip Girl’ Taylor Momsen’s EP slightly redeems her.” (Web | PDF) Review of TV star Taylor Momsen’s rock album that playfully incorporates her “Gossip Girl” character and wild child reputation.

All clips are available in web or PDF formats. Click on the link of the format wanted to be taken to the correct version.

To see my entire body of work from The Frisky, visit my profile on the site.

“10 Famous Female Cheaters.” (Web | PDF) Slideshow of celebrity female cheaters that received over 400,000 views and was one of my most popular posts on The Frisky. Along with pitching, writing, and coding the content, as with most of my work, I also edited and imputed the photos used.

“Tabloid Cheat Sheet.”(Web | PDF) A sample of my weekly column on The Frisky, offering a comic overview of tabloid magazines’ cover stories and other amusing fodder.

“This Month In Lady Mags.” (Web | PDF) My monthly Frisky column breaking down the content of multiple women’s magazines, while also offering humorous personal opinion and ratings.

“Girl Talk: Going To Las Vegas For My 21st Birthday…With My Dad.” (Web | PDF)  Personal essay, recounting my relationship with my father through our trip to Las Vegas for my 21st birthday – one that we had been planning since I was a child.

“Girl Talk: Everyone Should Have A Retail Job At Least Once.” (Web | PDF) Post about my experiences working in retail and the interesting, but helpful way the position improved other parts of my life. This piece proved to be especially relateable to readers, generating over 75 comments.

“3 Supposedly Horrible Movies Worth Your Love.” (Web | PDF) An example of the unique entertainment pieces I wrote for The Frisky, this post is a defense of three films that Empire included in their ”50 Worst Films Ever” list.

These articles are only available in PDF format. If you are interested in seeing more of my work from The Oakland Press, please contact me.

“Farmers’ market master ensures freshness, quality.” (PDF) Piece covering the local county farmers’ market and the individuals who work there. In addition to writing the article, I also interviewed sources, arranged photos, and edited my work for publication.

“Cancer survivors, Supporters to raise funds in Race for the Cure.” (PDF) Interviewed breast cancer survivors about their personal experiences with the disease and participating in Race for the Cure to bring an original perspective to the annual event.

These articles are only available in PDF format. If you are interested in seeing more of my work from The Birmingham Eccentric, please contact me.

“Don’t label all mentally ill as dangerous.” (PDF) Opinion piece discussing how mass media can encourage unfair, negative perceptions of people with mental illnesses. Several local associations who help support people with mental illnesses wrote thank you letters in response to this article.

“Marketing drives the new ‘American Dream.’” (PDF) Analysis of the poor current state of  the American dream, using Ryan Seacrest as an example of the new type of negative benefactor.