I’m a writer and digital media expert based in the California desert.
I’ve reported for newsrooms across the country and led dozens of digital storytelling campaigns.
I entered the media industry at a time of great transformation and innovation — and I’m proud of the experiences and bylines I’ve collected along the way.
I grew up in Rochester, New York — a wonderful Great Lakes city known for Kodak film, Genny beer, and freezing winters. I graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in newspaper journalism and music history. In 2022, I completed a master’s degree in digital audience strategies from The Cronkite School at Arizona State University. As of June 2022, I write for Digiday’s Modern Retail where I cover e-commerce and public policy.
I spent the early years of my career at The Daily Messenger in Canandaigua, New York. Prior to moving to the West Coast, I spent about five years covering government and politics in Pennsylvania, where there was never a dull moment.
I also had the opportunity to cover politics and government for the Associated Press out of their Phoenix bureau. And I wrote about civil litigation and covered trials in downtown Los Angeles for Law360, a paywalled news site for lawyers and law firms. (Here’s my LinkedIn for the full history).
Outside of newsrooms, I’ve had stretches as a freelance copywriter, social media manager and editor, and I’ve also successfully grown social media accounts for multiple nonprofits and businesses. Back in 2018, I served as the inaugural social media and newsletter editor for Report for America. And I was the communications manager for the Coachella Valley nonprofit Lift to Rise. There, I managed multiple social accounts and implemented new a storytelling series to amplify our housing justice efforts while implementing paid and organic marketing efforts for Riverside County’s rental assistance program. Our work distributed millions of dollars in federal aid to tens of thousands of families during the coronavirus pandemic. More recently in the summer of 2024, I helped co-found an arts performance nonprofit called Dance Mojave.
Melissa M. Daniels 