JULIA
BAUM
Journalist &
Communications Specialist
About Me
Julia Baum is an award-winning and multifaceted journalist with more than a decade of experience in Sacramento, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, covering breaking news, state and local politics, business, development, education, and crime and courts, and specializing in cannabis news and issues.
Besides earning the respect and trust of the communities she covers, and triggering action and change in them, her work has also caught the attention of major media outlets like BBC News, for which she's been a regular contributor since 2017. Julia's stories have also been picked up by "Good Morning America", CNN, NBC, FOX, HLN, the Mercury News, East Bay Times, Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Globe, Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, The Independent (UK), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and more.
Julia's career started at California State University Sacramento, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Communications. As a cub reporter she interviewed high-profile public figures like FedEx-Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea and Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister of former President Barack Obama, while simultaneously honing her multimedia and graphic design skills. During this time she also worked as an event organizer and promoter for some of Sacramento's most popular restaurant, nightclubs, lounges and dance studios, and learned the ins and outs of communications, marketing and event management at Sutter Health Group and CBS Radio.
After some time covering local news, elections, city council and public utility meetings, Julia came on board with Bay Area News Group in 2015 and spent several years as a general assignment reporter in San Jose, where she quickly earned a reputation for hunting down relevant news. She diversified her journalism portfolio even more while freelancing for several publications, including a semi-weekly column on local cannabis news.
Since 2019, Julia has worked as a staff reporter at the Pleasanton Weekly newspaper, where she primarily covers local schools and education. Shortly after starting with the Weekly, Julia was one of 20 individuals statewide selected for the 2019 California Health Fellowship at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Journalism. As a Fellow, Julia spent a week in Los Angeles studying public health policy and related issues before embarking on a nearly year-long fellowship project about food insecurity and nutritional assistance programs.
The following year, Julia won several California Newspaper Publishers Association awards for her work at the Weekly, including second place for Coverage of Youth and Education.
Julia's reputation has made her a sought-out figure for speaking engagements at local schools and community groups, media appearances, and hosting and moderating events. Julia is also a founding staff member and news writer for San Jose Spotlight, the first nonprofit newsroom in the country's tenth largest city.
Growing up in a college town, Julia has valued learning and sharing knowledge with others from a very young age. She believes that journalism provides endless opportunities to both learn something new every day and help others connect that information to their own lives in a meaningful way.
When she's not busy chasing leads, Julia enjoys live music and spending time with her dog. A certified dance instructor and performer, Julia is a SAG-eligible actress and has appeared in several major TV and film productions including Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" and Marvel Studios' "Ant Man and The Wasp".
Work Experience
HIGHLIGHTS
● Dynamic writer and narrator
● HTML, CSS and Javascript (beginner)
● Google SEO
● WordPress
● Data analysis
● Social media strategy
● Effective interviewer
● Video production and editing
● News photography
● Page layout and design
● Adobe Creative
● Strong interpersonal skills
● Deadline-driven
● Bilingual (conversational in American Sign Language)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Second Place - Coverage of Youth and Education; California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Awards (2019)
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Third Place - Online General Excellence; CNPA Journalism Awards (2019)
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2019 California Fellowship Grant Recipient, Center for Health Journalism - USC Annenberg School of Journalism
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Wrote #1 most-viewed news story in 2017 for Bay Area News Group community division, generating more than 273,000 views and backlinks from BBC and CBS News
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Authored five of the Top 20 most-viewed news articles for community division in 2017, including #1 most-viewed story overall
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Founding staff member of the San Jose Spotlight, the first nonprofit news organization in the city of San Jose, California (2018)
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Regular radio correspondent for BBC News since 2017
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Guest commentator on "Valley Politics" live television broadcast (November 2018)
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Moderator for San Jose City Council District 7 candidate forum hosted by the Santa Clara County Democratic Club (April 2018)
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Certificate of Appreciation and commendation from the Kiwanis Club of San Jose (March 2018)
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Guest speaker at Kiwanis Club of San Jose and West San Jose-Campbell Lions Club; multimedia presentation on the relationship between Wall Street hedge funds and local newspapers (March 2018)
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Moderated two televised political debates for 2016 San Jose City Council elections
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Stories have been above fold on Huffington Post, picked up internationally by "Good Morning America", 41 ABC affiliates, BBC, CBS, CNN, NBC, FOX, CBS, HLN, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Globe, Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, Daily Mail, The Independent (UK), etc.
Freelance Journalist/Communications Specialist
Feb 2018 – Present
● Generate eye-catching investigative news stories for online, print and broadcast reports on a variety of issues such as politics, gun control and the marijuana industry
● Write original and in-depth web content about the Southeast Asian tech market including ecommerce, digital financial services and Sea, the region's second-highest valued startup (April 2018)
● Regular contributor for BBC Radio 5 Live on West Coast news and events
● Feature writer for Metro News Weekly news column on the Silicon Valley marijuana industry
Bay Area News Group/Digital First Media
Aug. 2015 to Feb. 2018
San Jose, CA
Editorial/staff writer
● Developed and produced 4-6 articles weekly for print and online publication including cover stories and breaking news for up to six newspapers circulated by Bay Area News Group, the leading newspaper publisher in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley
● Wrote hard-hitting news covering politics, crime, housing, education, technology, healthcare, transportation, land use, labor, development and features in San Jose’s city council districts 6, 9 and 10
● Conducted in-person and phone interviews with sources including government officials, business owners, law enforcement officials, community stakeholders, nonprofit leaders, activists, experts and opinion leaders in a wide variety of fields.
● Collaborated with editors, photographers and fellow writers to curate original and in-depth news coverage on an array of topics.
I served as a staff writer for BANG from August 2015 to February 2018, covering San Jose city council district 6, 9 and 10 during that time. In this position, I wrote a weekly average of five news and feature stories including regular strip stories on the front page; reported on local government, elections, housing, crime, education, land use and transportation, customizing coverage to residents in those communities; developed and maintained professional relationships with city staff, elected officials, prosecutors, defense attorneys, planning commissioners, business owners, PR representatives, activists and residents; and completed company workshops to expand my knowledge of Google search engine optimization, Slack platform utilization and WordPress publishing.
Messenger Publishing Group
May 2014 to Aug. 2015
Sacramento, CA
Freelance community reporter
I started professionally at MPG, a publishing company serving the greater Sacramento region with online and print community newspapers and niche magazines. While there, I attended and reported on 1-2 weekly public meetings at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento Water District, Citrus Heights City Council and Rancho Cordova City Council; covered current and ongoing issues such as local elections, tax measures and utility rate increases; conducted interviews and sit-downs with key figures in city, county and state government and special districts; political candidates, PR representatives, residents, business owners and sources; assisted with copy editing and line editing.
Freelance Public Relations Specialist
Dec 2010 – Aug 2015
I managed promotional and media activity for clients in the Sacramento area including Sacramento Bushido Kai, Belly Dance Teachers of Greater Sacramento, Sacramento Professional Belly Dancers Network and Hot Pot Studios. Using my experience and lessons learned during college, I successfully strategized and implemented publicity campaigns for clients using social media and traditional marketing methods; coordinated, managed and prepared clients for press interviews and live television appearances; generated pre- and post-event publicity including coverage on local ABC station affiliate and Sacramento Press newspaper websites; wrote press releases, media advisories and other publicity materials; developed and maintained media contact databases; oversaw the redesign of promotional materials including website copy, pamphlets, showcase programs and press releases; and arranged photography and videography for events.
Sutter Medical Group
Jan 2012 – May 2012
Marketing and Communications Intern
During this internship, I acted as media liaison for a special Centering Pregnancy Program at Sutter General Hospital during my first six weeks; was responsible for arranging and overseeing all aspects of the media event including arranging interviews with reporters and drafting media advisories; handled marketing and promotions for several charitable causes including the 4th Annual Donut Dash; interviewed hospital staff and patients for press releases, blog posts and newsletter articles; performed marketing and social media research to increase brand awareness of organization; wrote, edited and distributed press releases, newsletter updates, media advisories, and industrial film scripts; and maintained and updated media contact list
Jan. 2009 – May 2010
Sacramento, CA
Reporter/Columnist
As a student journalist, I covered student government elections, education lobbying efforts and campus crime; wrote a weekly op-ed column; recorded Internet podcasts; filmed and edited video footage; participated in a public records audit of a public school district; conducted interviews with high-profile public figures including Paul Orfalea (Chairman Emeritus of Kinko’s-FedEx) and Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng (sister of President Barack Obama).
The Express
Aug. 2006 – Dec. 2008
Sacramento, Calif.
Staff Writer/Graphic Designer
My first experience working in a real world newsroom was at The Express, a bi-weekly student newspaper at Sacramento City College. I was introduced to working with managing editors, writers and fellow graphic designers on page layout, design and creating original visual elements; wrote news articles and headlines; and assisted with photo editing and proofreading.
Education
2012 / MAY
California State University Sacramento
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism; Minor in Communications
2009 / JAN
Sacramento City College
Associate Arts Degree in Journalism;
Graduated with President's Honors