RESEARCH
My research as a journalism historian has two primary goals: to illuminate aspects of the past that have been overlooked or misinterpreted, and to show how understanding history can help us understand the present. I focus in particular on journalistic values, the business of news, and the intersection between journalism and politics. My current and future research topics include the history of the New York Daily News, coverage of war in popular magazines, and the press’s changing standards on language regarding race, gender, and sexuality.
TEACHING
I teach in the Journalism program at Seton Hall University, where my courses include introductory writing for the media, feature writing, contemporary issues in sports journalism, and a survey of the history of American journalism. I previously taught various U.S. history courses at Boston University.
JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE
From 2003 to 2011 I worked at Vanity Fair magazine, where I was an assistant editor and covered the news media and popular culture for VF.com (my articles won the 2010 Mirror Award for Best Commentary, Digital Media). As assistant to the magazine’s executive literary editor, Wayne Lawson, I worked with writers including Maureen Orth, Bob Colacello, Mark Seal, Marie Brenner, and Dominick Dunne.
EDUCATION
B.A., History, Dartmouth College, 2003
M.A., History, Boston University, 2014
Ph.D., History, Boston University, 2016
OTHER
I was a 3-day champion on Jeopardy! in 2015 — that was fun!
