Katherine Johnson, President and Founder of Katherine Johnson Media Enterprises, LLC, is an accomplished journalist and media consultant with over 15 years’ multimedia experience. She enjoys writing and telling stories about people and events impacting the community. Katherine landed her first “paying” writing job at her hometown newspaper, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, three weeks after graduating college. She started as a news assistant and worked her way up to community news reporter, where she wrote daily lead obituaries on Sarasota’s famous residents. Circus clowns, famed scientists, society philanthropists, and everyday citizens were featured on the daily obit pages.

She soon expanded her writing into community news events like charity bachelor auctions, police briefs, and local news stories–impacting more than 100,000 newspaper readers. Her work was picked by the New York Times Wire Service where it ran in several newspapers across the country.

After two years working in the print media, Katherine was hired to become part of the inaugural news team to launch Florida’s first all-digital cable news channel. The station taped newscasts from a studio inside the Sarasota Herald-Tribune newsroom, and featured newspaper reporters and columnists. With her print background, Katherine served as a liaison between the two media entities, and helped merge the newsroom into a thriving multimedia station. She wrote copy for half-hour newscasts daily, and wrote packages for reporters who would anchor them from the newsroom.

Her management experience led her to Orlando, where she joined one of Time Warner’s original 24-hour local cable news channels as an Executive Producer. She managed teams of reporters, producers, directors, and production employees to produce 16-18 half-hour shows each day. She created and authored long-range projects, such as the Y2K Business Continuity Plans for the Tribune Company; and special event, live extended television news coverage for the 2000 Presidential Election for Time Warner Cable stations. During her television career, she produced breaking news coverage on the deadly tornadoes that struck Central Florida in February, 1998; the wildfires that ravaged Florida during the summer of 1998; numerous hurricanes, including Charley, Frances, and Jeanne in 2004; hostage standoffs; city, state and national elections; the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster; and countless others.

After 10 years, working for several broadcast and cable news organizations, Katherine returned to her roots in print. She joined Create Magazine, the nation’s largest circulated trade publication in 2004, as an Associate Editor. She oversaw editorial development for 20 issues per quarter in 20 cities around the country. She hand-selected and recruited writers and columnists for each issue, and approved all editorial content and marketing materials for the magazine. In 2006, she joined the staff of Orlando’s largest city magazine as an Associate Editor, where she penned the monthly media and history columns.

Today, Katherine owns her own media consulting company; and serves as a media expert to a variety of clients who are eager to gain media exposure in the community. She continues to work as a freelance writer for several print and online outlets. Katherine also volunteers to mentor students majoring in journalism/communications. She offers tips on writing, obtaining a first job, and the skills necessary to thrive in a diverse and rapidly changing media world.