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Bailey Benson, MSJ

At the intersection of data-analysis and solutions-based journalism, I bring data to life through storytelling.

Phone: 602-300-1132
Email: benson.bailey12@gmail.com
LinkedInInstagram

about

ABOUT ME

Every data point has a story. Collectively, they have an impact. I am excited to tell the compelling stories behind the numbers and trends.

Immersed in the food industry for over five years, I have made connections within Chicago and around the nation. I am a trained journalist with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University. Using my undergraduate background in food studies and business, my work is based on analyzing and documenting culture through data-analysis and cross-cultural communication. 

resumé

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

My master's concentration was magazine journalism, and I completed coursework in data analytics, lifestyle content production, nonfiction storytelling, and law and ethics. In addition, I am proficient in R and Python.

My professional experience spans the food and beverage industry. As a Produce Coordinator for The Farmlink Project, I optimized food distribution networks of small-scale farmers throughout the Southeast. While interning at Impossible Foods, I developed an internal database to organize national grocery outreach strategies and conducted product analysis reports with national account managers.

I also have experience in school food policy and management. At Green Top Farms, a New York-based startup, I secured $70k+ in catering contracts with public and private schools, and wrote briefs on policy within each New York city county. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

August 2021 - May 2023

Freelance Writer and Oral Historian 

Southern Foodways Alliance and Souther Oral History Program

Oxford, MS and Chapel Hill, NC

Summer 2022

Retail Sales Intern

Impossible Foods

Redwood City, CA

December 2021 - December 2022

Produce Placement Manager

The Farmlink Project

Southeastern United States

EDUCATION

2023-2024

The Medill School at Northwestern University

Master of Science in Journalism

Concentration in Magazine

Chicago, IL 

2019 - 2023

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

Minor in Business Administration
Chapel Hill, NC

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

  • I attended the 2024 National Magazine Awards in New York City. With the opportunity to network with food journalism publications, I connected with writers and editors at Food & Wine and Bon Appétit.

  • I competed and was selected for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The full-ride scholarship to the university, covered tuition, room and board, frequent leadership trainings, and provided a semesterly stipend. Additionally the program provided funding for four summer enrichment experiences suited to my passions in food and culture, including outdoor leadership training in northern Minnesota, international anthropological research in Barbados, and a private sector internship at a start-up in New York City.

contact

CONTACT

Phone: 602-300-1132
Email: benson.bailey12@gmail.com
LinkedInInstagram

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