JOHN HANSEN
701-893-6090 | johnvhansen@hotmail.com | johnvhansen.com
linkedin.com/in/john-victor-hansen
SKILLS
General
- Writing, editing, designing, shooting video, blogging, social media interaction, planning, organization, teamwork
Programs/software
- Content management: Blox, Cue, NewsEditPro, Falcon, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, various web-posting systems
- Page production and design: LayoutChamp, InDesign, Quark, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements
- Video editing and production: iMovie, Movavi
EXPERIENCE
Lee (Enterprises) Design Center, 2021-24
- Finishing desk (2021-22): Using rough plans from newsrooms and the AP budget, I budgeted (and sometimes designed and proofed) papers for Lee newsrooms that subscribed to this service. Finishers were the liaisons between these newsrooms and designers in most cases.
- Sports design desk (2022-24): I designed pages for Lee newsrooms, using editors’ budgets, and did corrections and final-proof reviews.
McClatchy Publishing Center, 2016-21
- Sports wire editor: I edited and packaged wire stories and photos for 27 clients – some to all markets, some to specific markets.
- Finisher: I did the final polish on packages – making the headlines fit and cleaning up captions and style missteps.
Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette (S.C.) (islandpacket.com), 2015-16
- Lead sports copy editor/page designer: I put out the daily section for an area with more than 10 high schools.
Panama City (Fla.) News Herald (newsherald.com) and Northwest Florida Daily News (nwfdailynews.com), 2013-15
- Sports copy editor/page designer: I put out the daily section for an area with dozens of schools. I put out a college GameDay tab then turned around for Friday prep football games on a tight deadline.
Sedalia (Mo.) Democrat (sedaliademocrat.com), 2009-13
- Sports copy editor/page designer: In addition to creating the daily section, I compiled prep results calls and emails from coaches for a prep roundup, and posted results and content to our website, Facebook page and a score-texting service for subscribers.
- Writer/editor: I put out the Thursday arts section and also did the Saturday local news shift (highlighted by the story of the day) and print-designed and web-published the entire Monday edition.
- Videographer: I made video versions of my entertainment features, and highlight videos (with voiceovers written for reporters) to go with sports game coverage.
- Photographer: I shot art to accompany my stories.
Brainerd (Minn.) Dispatch (brainerddispatch.com), 2003-08
- Sports copy editor/page designer: I oversaw the daily section.
- Writer/editor: I compiled the Thursday arts section and also wrote some news and sports.
Other work
- Blog: I review movies, TV, books and comics at Reviews from My Couch (2009-present), which I also design, edit and organize and promote via social media. I also coordinate with one volunteer guest writer.
- Freelance writer: High Plains Reader, RiplFX Magazine, Bison Illustrated, Clay County Connection, Hypable
- Book editor: “Uncommon Faith: The Journey from Difficulty to Divine Purpose” by Felicia McQuaid (2015)
- Book chapter contributor: “‘Soldier’: From Script to Screen” by Danny Stewart (2023) and “Saluting ‘The Blood of Heroes’: Behind the Apocalyptic Film” by Danny Stewart (2024)
AWARDS
Design and editing
South Carolina Press Association (Daily 16,000-45,000 Division)
- Second place, sports page design, 2015
Florida Press Club
- First place, sports page design, 2014
Florida Society of News Editors
- Second place, sports page design, 2014
Missouri Press Association (Dailies Division 2 category)
- Third place, sports pages, 2011 (shared with Kyle Smith and Seth Stringer)
Missouri Press Association (Dailies category)
- Second place, headline writing, 2010 (shared with Roger Hooker)
Missouri APME (Division 3 category)
- Second place, headline writing, 2011
Minnesota AP (Under 20,000 circulation category)
- First place, sports design and editing, 2006 (shared with Trevor Williams)
- First place, headline writing, 2005
- First place, sports design and editing, 2004
- Second place, sports design and editing, 2007 (shared with Trevor Williams)
- Second place, sports design and editing, 2005 (shared with Jason Henke)
- Third place, headline writing, 2004
Writing
Kansas City Press Club (Daily under 50,000 circulation category)
- Gold award, entertainment writing, 2013
- Silver award, business reporting, 2013 (shared with three colleagues)
- Silver award and honorable mention, entertainment writing, 2012
- Honorable mention, entertainment writing, 2011
Video
Missouri Press Association (Dailies Division 2 category)
- First, second and third place, video, 2011
Missouri Press Association (Dailies category)
- Third place, video, 2010
EDUCATION
North Dakota State University (Fargo), 1996-2002
- Bachelor of Science in mass communications
- Writer/editor at The Spectrum
Minnesota State University-Moorhead, 2009
- I completed classes in videography, TV script writing, photography and web design.
- Writer/photographer at The Advocate
REFERENCES
“I have worked with John Hansen for several years at the McClatchy Publishing Center, at which we edit and design 27 newspapers each night. I am most familiar with John’s skills in our most recent job together on the sports wire editing team. Each day, we choose stories that represent the day’s best sports report, selecting stories of national interest but also customizing them to regional interests. John is good at selecting excellent photos and stories, and organizing them into a concise presentation. He knows what we need to make a product its best. John meets many deadlines each day, and has tremendous attention to detail. He will be at his best when he has a good bit of structure in his job. I’ve seen some of his writing work, enough to know he is a good writer. He will be able to learn about and write about nearly any topic, and he is familiar with all major sports, especially tennis. He could be a tennis encyclopedia, if we still had such things! I recommend John for your position. He will help your organization be its best.”
— Ellyn Ritterskamp, sports wire editor and McClatchy Publishing Center (Ellyn managed John directly)
“John came to the Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette at an important time. We were down a couple of copy editors, and we needed someone with a lot of institutional knowledge of sports to handle daily page design and editing. From the first week, John showed that he could handle anything we threw his way. Not only a good editor and designer, he cares about logistics and proved himself one of the most efficient people on the desk, a vital part of working for a newspaper. He also helped ease the workloads of other employees and filled in numerous times when others were out. John would be an asset to any employer in need of his talents.”
— Todd Money, now Publication Editor/Outreach Coordinator at Richland County (S.C.) Government (John worked with Todd on the same copy desk)
“Intelligent, creative and versatile, while also having a strong dedication to his craft. Hard to ask for more in a teammate. He values genuine, constructive feedback and has a strong attention to detail that transfers to any endeavor. This is someone I don’t just enjoy working with because of his talents, but also because of his sense of humor and his care for the product.”
— Morgan Rivera, finisher at McClatchy Publishing Center (John worked with Morgan on the same remote-based copy desk)