Diedre Johnson
8640 Gulana Ave; J3006
Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
323/533/3318
diedrej28@gmail.com
@diedremichelle/Twitter
www.diedre.net
Why Hire Me?
Thorough writing and reporting skills from hard news and magazine conversational to proofreading, editing skills in Adobe/pdf., files, blog writing and photo uploading in WordPress. Well-rounded experience in entertainment journalism, writing and reporting for national magazines and websites. Good PR contacts and a tenacity to get to the bottom line.
DESCRIPTION OF RECENT WORK EXPERIENCE
New York Daily News (Confidential Section) Event and Red Carpet Reporter — Cover events, premieres, do phone interviews, award season (including the coveted Vanity Fair Oscar Party) for Confidential, the entertainment news and gossip section of online and print editions. Results have been top-of-the-page featured items as well as mentions, informative quotes and of course, gossip.
Dishmag.com — Writing articles covering television shows and trends in television. Current.
TV Soap — Bi-weekly masthead contributor to largest circulation Australian daytime/primetime/movie magazine for seven years. Current.
Soap World — Los Angeles Correspondent for Australia-based monthly soap opera magazine. Complete coverage of LA daytime soaps including interviews, features, news briefs and bi-weekly gossip column (2001-2002, and on occasion since then). They were acquired by same media company that owns TV Soap in 2012. Now report and write celebrity interviews for both magazines. Current.
Star Magazine (Staff and) Freelance Red Carpet Reporter — After working for Star as a staff writer for five years, came back to work with them for five more years as a freelance red carpet and event reporter (2006-2011) covering premieres, junkets, television conferences (twice-yearly Television Critics Association (TCAs) and celebrity interviews.
Life&Style Magazine — Freelance event reporter covering premieres and events for four years, 2004-2006.
Freelance Reporting and Writing (2014 and past)
New York Daily News Confidential section (current), Dishmag.com (current), AOLMoviefone.com, DailyMail.com, astarwasborn.com, OK! (Los Angeles/reporting only), BettyConfidential.com, Theatermania.com, Ebony.com, Japanese Vogue, Ginza, Vi Vi Glamorous, Tarzan, Nurses World, In Focus magazine (National Assoc. of Theatre Owners), estar.com, LA Weekly, Daily Variety, Movieline (now HollywoodLife.com), Hollywoodlife.com, Soap Opera Digest, Backstage West (now Backstage), (original) Drama-Logue, Free Spirit, Nurses World, Los Angeles Business Journal, Minority Employment Journal. Articles have also appeared in the Los Angeles Reader. Entertainment Today, regional and specialty publications.
Freelance Editorial (Other)
American Waterfowler
Proofing and editing project for hunting trade publication (2011)
SDI Communications (Culver City, CA, 2011)
Video transcription project, using British English
Incredible Features, Marina del Rey, CA
(Ongoing freelance) Research possible feature shoots/interviews for photojournalism company. Current.
Hot Spots Magazine, Los Angeles, CA
Contributing Features Editor — Editing feature stories, writing and putting together calendar listings, interviews for quarterly entertainment magazine (defunct).
Author — Mariah (ebook on singer Mariah Carey (2001)
Contracted with Media Home Entertainment to assist in writing and editing video box copy for commercial films. Developed on-going freelance relationships with Adweek, Larchmont Chronicle, Guilford and Civello Creative, Foote, Cone and Belding, IOX Assessment Associates (textbooks) and Krupp-Taylor USA ad agencies for editing and proofreading.
Fulltime Staff
Star Magazine, Beverly Hills, CA
Staff reporter – Reported and wrote celebrity news for weekly, national magazine (1994-2000).
OTHER JOB EXPERIENCE
Joan Luther and Assoc., Beverly Hills, CA
Account Executive – Provided public relations, publicity and promotional services to popular restaurants including Chin Chin, Louise’s Trattoria, Cava and La Masia Encino Chamber of Commerce Taste of LA.
The Lee Solters Co., Beverly Hills, CA
Publicity Asst. – Edited, proofread, wrote publicity releases, made pitch calls to press, worked public events and assisted in the booking of tours and appearances of celebrity clients.
Los Angeles Daily Commerce, Los Angeles, CA
Staff writer – Wrote breaking news, features and profiles that pertained to business and real estate industries. Also was responsible for production of (now-defunct) weekly Board of Realtors supplement. Filed reports and represented newspaper at local and national real estate conventions.
Education
California State University, Long Beach, B.A., Journalism
Wordpress and CMS
Adobe Acrobat 9 – Pro
All basic PC computer skills