Ben S. Pollock
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Newspaper editorial
pages editor, metro editor, wire editor, Sunday editor, copy editor, page designer,
reporter, critic and columnist. University print journalism instructor in news
writing and ethics.
Education
- University of
Arkansas, Fayetteville. MA: Journalism, secondary emphasis in Creative Writing.
Thesis: "Declines in American Newspaper Humor and Humorous Columns, 1982-2002,"
presented at 27th annual conference of National Society of Newspaper
Columnists, 6/03 Tucson.
- Stanford University,
Palo Alto, Calif. AB: Communication -- journalism, secondary major in American
Studies -- policies and institutions. Stanford Daily campus newspaper,
Chaparral humor magazine, KZSU-FM campus radio, Stanford Marching Band.
Employment
2002 - present
-- Wehco Media Inc., Lowell, Springdale and Fayetteville, Ark.:
- Copy
Editor-Page Designer.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition, Lowell. Design 1A and
other news pages, copy edit, proofread. Also book reviews.
- Copy
Editor. Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition, Springdale. Edited features, news,
special projects; some features reporting.
- Editorial
Pages Editor, interim. Northwest Arkansas Times, Fayetteville.
Wrote all editorials, chaired editorial board, edited letters and columns.
- Copy Editor.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition. Part-time news desk work
while full-time graduate student.
Graduate Teaching
Assistant. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Instructor, Ethics in Journalism,
Spring 2003 semester. Supervisor of news writing labs of Fundamentals of Journalism,
Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 semesters. Copy editor, accreditation documentation.
The Morning
News of Northwest Arkansas, Springdale:
Associate
Editor/Editorial Pages. Supervised daily and Sunday opinion pages, editing
letters, columns and editorials then proofreading. Wrote editorials.
Washington
County Metro Editor. Supervised reporters and photographers in two newsrooms.
Night metro editor for all newsrooms.
Feature Humor
Columnist. Weekly, throughout both positions. Distributed via Stephens
(ne Donrey) Media Group to its newspapers.
Innkeeper.
Beaver Town Inn & Trading Post, Beaver, Ark. Maintained facility and grounds,
cooked, kept books for five-guestroom bed & breakfast. Ran the gift shop
downstairs.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
(ne Arkansas Democrat), Little Rock:
Sunday Editor.
Planned, coordinated and supervised Sunday and Monday editions. Also book
reviews.
International
Editor. Responsible for national and world wire news, trained and supervised
1-3 assistants. Front-page "In the News" daily column. Occasional
show and book reviews.
Assistant
Wire Editor. Also designed business section, other pages. Also copy editor.
Copy Editor.
Headlines, cutlines, editing of news copy. Also some wire editing, proofreading.
Feature Humor
Columnist. Weekly 1988-90, biweekly 1992 and occasionally before and
after those periods while holding above full-time positions. Honored by Arkansas
Press Association and Wehco Media.
Managing
Editor. The
Allen (Texas) American, a suburban Dallas semiweekly.
Supervised staff of 3-4, editing, page design, proofreading. Also reporter,
photographer, editorial writer and columnist.
News-Texan (now
zoned suburban sections of The Dallas Morning News), Farmers Branch:
Makeup Editor/Proofreader.
Wire editing, page design, liaison for all six papers' editors to central
production-press facility.
Assistant
Editor. Irving Daily News, Editing, page design, helped supervise
staff. Also city hall, police, business, feature reporting. Some photography,
columns. Created regular business page.
Police Reporter.
Irving Daily News. Also city hall, feature reporting.
News
Producer.
KFJM-AM
/ KFJM-FM Public Radio, Grand Forks, N.D. "Morning
Edition" local anchor, newscaster, reporter, editor and board operator.
Trained and supervised student staff. Sold many stories to The Associated Press.
News Intern.
Southwest Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.
News Intern. KFPW-AM / KHBS-TV, Fort Smith.
Summer Assembly Lineman. Whirlpool Corp., Fort Smith
Summer Assembly Lineman. Rheem-Ruud Corp., Fort Smith.
Affiliations
National Society
of Newspaper Columnists: Board member 2005-, Secretary 2007-,
Archivist 05-07. Co-author, "NSNC Guide to Syndication,
2nd Edition," 2004. Web site redesign liaison and interim Webmaster,
2006.
Society of
Professional Journalists: UA chapter member; Northwest Arkansas chapter charter
member; Arkansas (Little Rock) chapter secretary/newsletter editor, 1987-88;
Dallas chapter board member/newsletter editor 1983-85.
Annual Erma
Bombeck Writing Competition, sponsored by Ohio's Washington-Centerville Public
Library and the University of Dayton: Judge, humorous essays, 2003-.
Toastmasters
International: University of Arkansas at Little Rock chapter charter member;
Competent Toastmaster certificate, 1996.
Webmaster:
Ozark Poets & Writers Collective.
Music:
Bella Vista (Arkansas) Recorder Consort, Arkansas
Winds community band.
Software Skills
Skilled in NewsEditPro/IQue
as well as Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, familiar with Photoshop. Also well skilled
in Quicken, AppleWorks/ClarisWorks. Proficient in Microsoft Word and MS Excel
with skills in Publisher, Powerpoint and Access. Web page design and upkeep
using Dreamweaver, also MS FrontPage and Netscape Composer.
e-mail: ben.pollock@stanfordalumni.org
Last updated
08/23/07