Résumé

MATTHEW CROWLEY

mccrowley1@yahoo.com  | @copyjockey on X
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-crowley-editor/

SUMMARY

Journalist, editor, writer, all-around word person. I tell stories, and help others tell stories, with clarity, concision and power.

As a developmental and line editor, I work the front end, helping writers shape ideas, sharpen focus and structure their work. I edit both big-picture (macro) and line-by-line (macro) so arguments hold up, reporting is supported, prose flows and final products are publishing-ready.

As a writer, I practice what I teach (and preach), writing for cogency and concision. I’ve covered everything from politics to business, arts to breaking news, My work has appeared in PolitiFact, Poynter, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Arizona Republic, Al Jazeera, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Yahoo News, PBS, The Dallas Morning News, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today. I’ve also written blogs, web content, course summaries and marketing copy. My headlines and overlines hook readers, and awards.

I’m also a mentor and coach to fellow editors and writers, helping them find their careers and build confidence in their work. In 2025, I earned the national Henry Fuhrmann Mentor Award for these efforts.  I show up and lift other people up.

EDITING

 Copy chief, PolitiFact, 2022-2025.

  • Line-edited stories for substance, flow, accuracy and clarity.
  • Ran style-grammar-usage Slack channel; walked reporters through writing conundrums.
  • Shepherded stories through content management system, doing final checks; curated homepage.
  • Suggested fact checks and stories from news sites, television programs, and ads, social and other media.
  • Transcribed and annotated transcripts of speeches and live events using Otter.ai.
  • Sent email blasts alerting PolitiFact partners to coverage plans.
  • Managed email newsroom inbox, answering reader questions.
  • Wrote newsletters, fact-checks, stories and TikTok video scripts.

Senior web editor, Norwich University, 2019-2022.

  • Created editorial calendar, planned coverage, wrote stories, coordinated/took photos and visuals.
  • Packaged stories for publishing, adding headlines, photos, galleries and videos.
  • Raised norwich.edu engagement; page views rose 6% and time on page rose 15% year-to-year in 2020.
  • In 35 months, wrote 450 articles that drew 1.5 million page views.
  • Wrote promotional copy for social media.

Digital desk editor, Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, 2018-2019.

  • Edited 12-15 stories per shift for reporting completeness, factual accuracy, clarity, style and spelling.
  • Packaged stories with photos, photo galleries, videos and other digital layout elements for best presentation.
  • Created simple videos (Wochit) and infographics (Infogram).
  • Updated digital page fronts and spurred web traffic by tweeting 15-20 stories per shift.

Assistant city editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2016-2018.

  • Edited five to eight stories and many breaking-news briefs per shift.
  • Supervised four-reporter breaking news team and interns.
  • Planned stories, photos and illustrations.
  • Reported and wrote stories.
  • Transferred 100-page plus in-house stylebook from Google Doc to custom Associated Press webpage and maintained it afterward.
  • In six months, tripled  local advance obituaries with research, reporting and writing.

Universal desk copy editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2011-2015.

  • Edited 70 to 85 stories (news, features, sports, business) per week with NewsEngin, Microsoft Word.
  • Readied 20 to 30 pages per week for prepress by paginating layouts in Adobe InDesign and writing headlines and captions.
  • Designed six to eight news pages per week with Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop.

OTHER EDITING

  • Editor,  Don’t Forget My Voice newsletter on Substack, 2025-2026.
  • Copy editor, Atlanta magazine, 2025-2026.
  • Copy editor, Tablet magazine, 2025-2026.
  • Copy editor, Almanac of American Politics, 2025.
  • Copy editor, Poynter Institute courses for ACES: The Society for Editing, 2024, 2025.
  • Copy editor, DK Publishing/Penguin Random House, 2022.
  • Contributing editor, San Jose Spotlight, 2019-2020.
  • Freelance copy editor, Generation Justice, 2019.
  • On-call dissertation editor, Loyola Marymount University, 2017.
  • Assistant city editor-copy editor-reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2015-2016.
  • Copy editor, books, long-form content, The History Factory, 2015-2016.
  • Copy editor, e-books: Callisto Media, 2016.
  • Editor/collaborator, blumsday.com technology blog, 2005-2006.
  • Business copy editor, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1998-2011.

WRITING

  • Contributing writer, Poynter Institute website, 2024-2026.
  • Summary writer, Beat Academy, Poynter Institute, 2024-2025.
  • Freelance copywriter, FM Marketing (Las Vegas), 2019-22, 2025-2026.
  • Freelance contributor, Arizona Foothills magazine, 2025.
  • Contributing writer, CDC Gaming Reports, 2018-2024.
  • Freelance headline/copywriter, Pinkston Strategy & Communications, 2021-2022.
  • Freelance music critic, Seven Days Vermont, 2021-2022.
  • Freelance copywriter,  Vermont Teddy Bear Co., 2021.
  • Freelance copywriter/copyeditor, ImageWords (Las Vegas), 2015, 2018-2021, 2025-2026.
  • Contributing writer, Las Vegas Newswire, 2019-2020.
  • Freelance blogger, Grasslands, 2019.
  • Freelance web feature writer, Mount Holyoke College, 2016.
  • General assignment reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2015- 2016.
  • Freelance sportswriter, USA Today, 2015-2016.
  • Blogger, headline writing and copy editing, Copyediting.com, 2015.
  • Freelance copywriter, The Firm Public Relations and Marketing (Las Vegas), 2015.
  • Contributor, Society for Editing newsletter and website, 2002-2015, 2025-2026.
  • Contributing business reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2015-2018, 1998-2010.
  • Contributor, Copyediting newsletter, 2014.
  • Book reviewer, Las Vegas Business Press, 2008-2012; Youth Today, 2015.
  • Staff writer, Las Vegas View, 1996-1997.
  • Staff  writer, Glens Falls Post-Star,  features, 1993-1996, sports, 1990-1993.
  • Staff sportswriter, Cortland Standard, 1990.

MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP

  • Mentor, Cronkite School Journalism program, Arizona State University, 2022-2026.
  • Mentor, Newhouse Alumni Partnership Program, Syracuse University, 2020-2022.
  • Mentor, editing and journalism, Texas State University, 2011-2020.
  • Mentor, ACES: The Society for Editing, 2010-2019.
  • Headline contest chair,  ACES: The Society for Editing national headline contest, 2024-2025,  judge  2014-2023.
  • Judge, Florida Society of News Editors contest, 2023-2024.
  • Judge, Society for Editing Robinson Prize, 2017-2019.
  • Presenter, copy editing and headlines,  Society for Editing national conference, 2011, 2012, 2014.
  • Presenter, copy editing and headlines, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2014-2016.
  • Presenter, “Heads We Win: The Secrets to Better Headlines,” for Intel Corp., 2014.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Member, Society for Editing, 2001-2026.
  • Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors, 2017-2026.
  • Completed, Lead with Influence, Poynter Institute, 2023.
  • Completed, Associated Press stylebook workshop, 2023.
  • Completed, Poynter Summit for Reporters and Editors, 2021.
  • Completed with distinction, “Fundamentals of Investigative Reporting,” Poynter Institute, 2020.
  • Fellow, Summer Institute for Midcareer Copy Editors, University of North Carolina, 2008.

AWARDS

National

  • ACES: The Society for Editing and Asian American Journalists Association, Los Angeles chapter: Henry Fuhrmann Mentor Award, 2025.
  • ACES: The Society for editing headline contest, newspapers 100,001 to 250,000 circulation, first place, 2007; second place, 2011; honorable mention, 2001, 2002.
  • Society for Features Journalism contest, headlines, first place, 2013; second place, 2009.
  • Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest, honorable mention, sports news, 50,000-and-under circulation, 1990.

Regional

  • Best of the West contest, headlines, first place, 2015, 2016; second place, 2011, 2013; third place, 2010.

State

  • Nevada Press Association, Better Newspapers Contest, best nonstaff story, urban dailies, 2016.
  • Nevada Press Association, Better Newspapers Contest, headline writing, urban dailies, first place, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2015.
  • Associated Press writing contest, New York state division, first place, sports features, 125,000-50,000 circulation, 1993-94.
  • New York State Newspaper Publishers Association writing contest, first place, sportswriting, 50,000-and-under circulation, 1991-92. 

TECHNOLOGIES

Content systems: Adobe InDesign; Django; Presto; WordPress; Drupal, Joomla, NewsEngin.
Text: Microsoft Word, Google Docs,  Adobe InCopy.
Visuals: Acrobat Pro and Photoshop; Canva; Google Slides and Sheets, PowerPoint, iMovie.
Connection: Zoom; Google Meet; Skype; GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar.
Analytics: Google Trends, Google My Business.
Artificial intelligence: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Artspace, Otter.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, Syracuse University.
(Dual degree, newspaper journalism/modern foreign languages)

  • Elected to Phi Beta Kappa.