About
Hi, I'm Joshua Levin. I'm a full-time college student and part-time journalist. I spend my spare time taking photos and occasionally writing software. I run the news desk for The Mass Media, UMass Boston's independent student newspaper, where I focus on policy, law and breaking news. I also occasionally publish stories about national political and legal news on my blog.
Let's Work Together
I'd love to work with you! I'm open to freelance or part-time reporting, content writing or copy editing positions. Reach out via email at josh@joshlevin.us to get in touch.
Experience
News Editor and Assistant Production Editor, The Mass Media — I run the news desk for UMass Boston's independent student newspaper. As Assistant Production Editor, I also participate in production planning, oversee website design and operations, and manage the paper's Twitter account. (Aug. 2024 - Present)
Editor in Chief, The Shakerite — I oversaw more than 30 student journalists for year-round web and print production, managing all aspects of the publication, including planning, assigning and editing coverage. I contributed to more than 100 articles and opinions receiving bylines in 27. I participated in more than a dozen breaking news stories and oversaw the first live election night coverage in the paper's 94-year history. I also served on the editorial board for three years, including two terms as chairman. Previously Investigations Reporter and Managing Editor (Aug. 2021 - May 2024)
Portfolio
Newswriting
Speaker Choice Supported Woodbury Teacher’s Abuser — I broke the story that the Shaker Heights City School District's choice for commencement speaker, alumna and former secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, had written a letter supporting a former judge when he was arrested for abusing his wife, a Shaker teacher. My coverage sparked a petition drive that reached 900 signatures and was picked up by at least five professional media outlets.
Students to Attend Virtually Due to Security Concerns — I managed and wrote breaking news coverage when two trespassers entered through an unlocked door and assaulted students in my school's cafeteria. I published the story within hours, and updated it within 15 minutes when the district announced that school was canceled the following day due to safety concerns.
Opinion
Editorial: Building a Culture of Safety — As editorial board chairman, I participated in writing and presided over board meetings where we drafted this editorial supporting new safety protocols in response to two safety scares in less than a week.
Column: Teachers, Please, Tri-Fold No More — In this column, I express frustration about projects that make use of tri-fold presentation boards, and provide tips for fellow students to make these projects more bearable.
Photojournalism
I ran photographic coverage for three protests during my time at The Shakerite, including a march opposing cuts to Latin and Greek instruction in 2023 and walkouts against gun violence in 2022 and 2023.
Awards and Honors
2024 runner up for the Philip W. Porter Scholarship, awarded by the Cleveland Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
2024 Recipient of the Jane Wood Award for Outstanding Student Journalism presented by the Shaker Schools Foundation for reporting at The Shakerite.
2024 Recipient of the Mae Stuart Dalrymple Award, presented by the Shaker Schools Foundation for excellence in writing.
2023-24 Member of the Ohio Attorney General's Teen Ambassador Board.
Personal Projects
Photography (view my portfolio).
Redownload, a software tool to download music from archive.org.
Zeal-CLI, a software tool to manage offline coding documentation.