Melissa Noel

About Melissa Noel

I\'m an award-winning multimedia journalist, speaker and media entrepreneur who builds editorial strategies that connect global audiences with authentic narratives. As Founder & CEO of Mel & N Media Group, I lead creative strategy, brand development, and content production for organizations seeking to authentically engage multicultural audiences—specializing in Caribbean global Black narratives, and the creative industries. My editorial leadership combines network news discipline and investigative reporting with cultural expertise and strategic vision. I started my career in network news at ABC News before traveling the Caribbean region for eight years as an on-air correspondent for One Caribbean Television/CBS Puerto Rico, reporting on arts, culture, business, and social issues across the region. My work has been supported by prestigious international fellowships. I\'m a Pulitzer Center grantee and alumna of the International Center for Journalists International Fellowship, Ethel Payne International Reporting Fellowship for Reporting on Africa, and the USC Center for Health Journalism Fellowship. My reporting has regularly appeared in NBC News, National Geographic, ESSENCE and Ebony. In my senior editorial roles at ESSENCE and Documented NY, I\'ve proven my ability to create high-impact content series, develop strategic content partnerships that speak to major corporations as well as local communities, manage election coverage teams, direct live programming strategy for major events, and build strategic partnerships with international organizations. I balance daily deadlines with long-form storytelling, lead diverse contributor teams, and use data to drive editorial decisions that increase engagement and reach.As a moderator and speaker, I\'ve been tapped to lead conversations at the United Nations, National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention, Columbia Journalism School, ESSENCE Festival of Culture, and Caribbean Tourism Organization events—interviewing heads of state, CEOs, celebrities, and community changemakers with equal depth and nuance.A first-generation Guyanese-American, I transform how diverse communities are represented in media through strategic editorial leadership, authentic storytelling, and partnerships that center underrepresented voices. Let\'s connect for: strategic communications and editorial consulting, content strategy and brand development for multicultural audiences, moderation and diaspora storytelling.

Experience

1. Journalism Educator Campus Consortium Board Member

   Pulitzer Center

   Sep 2018 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Contribute to the center’s education team through work with elementary schools, high schools and universities to bring pressing national and international issues into the classroom.I work with the education team to develop lesson plans and other customized programming for in-person, online class sessions and interactive workshops. In this role I work with students across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. As a member of the Campus Consortium Advisory Council, I work to build and strengthen the organization’s university programs at over 30 college campuses and build news partnerships.

Education

• CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

  M.A., Journalism/ International Relations

  2011 — 2012

• Howard University

  B.A., Journalism

  2006 — 2010

Skills

• Press Releases
• Segment Production
• News Writing
• Live Shots
• Web Content
• Television
• Lexisnexis
• Writing
• Radio
• Final Cut Pro
• Social Media
• Copy Editing
• Blogging
• Journalism
• Multimedia
• Avid Newscutter
• Wordpress
• Pro Tools
• Editing
• Factiva
• Broadcast
• Linear Editing
• Video
• Storytelling
• Investigative Reporting
• Enps
• Editorial
• Field Production
• One Man Band
• Powerpoint
• Breaking News