You might know me as Rachel Schallom. I recently changed my name.
I am a digital media leader who has made an impact in both legacy and startup newsrooms. I am passionate about managing teams, developing and refining content strategies, and growing audiences.
In my current role at Fortune Media, I oversee everything from major editorial projects and investigative features to daily story selection, calendars, and budgets. I relish the opportunity to influence our journalism by being hands-on in the story creation process and also taking the 30,000-feet view to strategize about where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. I’m at my best when I’m using all the parts of my brain: dreaming up big stories to chase, experimenting with new ways to produce them, bringing order to chaos with spreadsheets and memos, and collaborating across the newsroom.
I have previously worked as the managing editor at VICE, a strategist at the Wall Street Journal, and at Fusion, the Sun Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times, and the Huntsville Times.
I frequently speak and write on the state of digital journalism, leadership, and newsroom culture. I was a member of the 2016 ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media class.
Along with two friends, I produce a successful newsletter that aims to address the dearth of training available to journalists, and I am dedicated to making journalism a more equitable industry. I speak at national and international conferences, conduct live interviews at events, and I have been an adjunct professor teaching coding for journalism students.
I block out time on Fridays to chat with women and people of color in journalism.
I read a lot of books.
Get in touch at rachel.b.lobdell@gmail.com or on Twitter. I'm always open to talking about consulting, speaking, writing, or leading trainings.
Photo by Elizabeth Renstrom
The value of push alerts goes beyond open rates | Nieman Lab
The stakes are higher for women in charge of safety | Poynter
Raise your hand if you're new here | Poynter
A guide for managers on navigating performance reviews | Poynter
Know when to leave your job | Poynter
The state of fertility benefits across the journalism industry | Poynter
An editor's guide to creating an online portfolio | Poynter
Nearly three years later, a WDBJ anchor shares how her newsroom survived tragedy | Poynter
Women in public-facing journalism jobs are exhausted by harassment | Poynter
Finding a personal style at work is full of roadblocks for women | Poynter
Helping junior colleagues lead can help you grow as a manager | Poynter
Why volunteering for opportunities at work is critical for women | Poynter
Better design helps differentiate opinion and news | Nieman Lab
Women feel the emotional weight of telling our stories | Society of Professional Journalists
Stop flying over the flyover states | Nieman Lab
An open letter to newsroom hiring managers | Source
Good code runs on good communication | Source
Women In Journalism 2019: Professional development & career growth
ONA St. Louis 2018: Professional development & brand building
SRCCON 2018: Reflecting on how the media covers itself
NICAR 2017: How to make data approachable for younger audiences
NICAR 2016: Co-facilitated the mentorship roundtable
SRCCON 2015: How to manage interactive projects when you're a team of one