Christopher Feaver is a senior communications professional with over 15 years of experience in print and digital media. He currently serves as the News Editor for three daily newspapers in upstate New York, managing a team that produces content across print and web platforms. Feaver has a proven track record of leading transitions to more digital-focused strategies and excelling under tight deadlines. Prior to his current role, he worked as Sports Editor for another daily newspaper, where he oversaw sports coverage and mentored student interns.

1. Christopher Feaver
3129 Burris Road #3
Vestal, NY 13850
(703) 283-5526
ckfeaver@gmail.com
Senior Communications Professional
Innovative department manager, editor and writer with more than 15 years' communications experience in both print and web
media. Talented problem-solver and multi-tasker, serving the needs of several departments and publications with varying needs
concurrently. Excellent at managing staff possessing vastly diverse skills and experience. Well-versed in web technology/Web 2.0
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Twitter, posting articles and videos for web, and monitoring Facebook pages to analyze reader
comments. Experience as thought leader, helping lead a transition from print-first to web-first focus and thinking. Possess thorough
understanding of the functions of various forms of print and web media and what communication strategies work best to get
messages to the target audience. Skilled project manager, implementing complex plans on a daily basis, leading news budget
meetings and identifying staff roles to produce quality products by deadline.Highly skilled at putting out fires and identifying
potential problems in their infancy. Uncover and fix weaknesses in copy, solve issues such as dramatic late changes in available
space for print editions, prioritizing and eliminating content. Cool under deadline pressure. Excel at preparing and placing late-
breaking news for both print and web.
Experience
BIE Newspapers, Binghamton, N.Y. 2007-Present
News Editor (2010 - Present)
Manage eight-person copy desk responsible for producing three upstate New York daily newspapers (Binghamton Press & Sun-
Bulletin, Elmira Star-Gazette, Ithaca Journal) with a combined circulation near 80,000. Monitor and update all three newspaper
websites (pressconnects.com, stargazette.com, ithacajournal.com) that receive a combined 9 million page views monthly.Assign
duties for copy editors on a nightly basis. Edit content, ensuring accurate, clean, concise and customized copy for readers. Write
headlines for websites, using SEO guidelines. Workcross-functionally with departments such as photo, graphics and marketing, to
enhance print and web coverage.
Communications Accomplishments
Edit locally produced copy, including all 1A stories for the three newspapers, with keen knowledge and execution of AP
style.
Write headlines for both newspaper and Internet that attract readership and summarize content in a compelling, accurate
fashion maximizing audience impact.
Helped implement several company communications strategies, including hyperlocal editorial coverage, a web-first media
approach, and a focus on passion topics that target the everyday lives of readers. Current company strategy involves a more
web-based approach from reporters, pairing content with videos, photo galleries and interactive maps.
Leadership Accomplishments
Oversee diverse copy desk of eight editors, with experience ranging from more than 30 years on the job to college students
breaking into the profession. Focus on accountability, training and encouraging younger editors, while keeping more
experienced editors dedicated to, and enthusiastic about, the task.
Conduct daily budget meeting via conference call with managing editors of the three papers featuring widely differing
readership audiences, to determine story content and placement for the next day’s publications and to discover potential
challenges for the copy desk that evening, such as late photos or content. Choose content for 1A and the Local/State pages for
each publication, searching for common articles to streamline the editing and layout process.
Plan, prepare and produce several complex communications projects for the three newspapers and websites simultaneously.
Manage copy desk staff, edit copy, make content choices for print and the web and publish website content. Helped the
company save money with the streamlining of three copy desks/news sites.
Translated web-focused strategy and vision of the company in way that was engaging to reporters and enabled successful
implementation of that vision.

2. Chris Feaver Resume, Page 2
New Media Accomplishments
Part of newspaper team that won a prestigious national award from the Online News Association in 2009 -- First place for
Breaking News, Small Site -- for coverage of shooting incident in Binghamton in which 14 people were killed. Served as the
evening digital editor during weeklong focus on the tragedy, editing stories, writing headlines and prioritizing story placement,
preparing the website for crucial morning viewership during which by far the most page views are attained.
Manage three websites, posting from 15 to 40 local stories on a nightly basis, to prepare for high-traffic morning audience.
Enhance content with photo galleries, videos, attachments such as court documents, interactive maps and links. Provide quality
control for websites, ensuring all content is included and prioritized, according to plan, to best serve our readers.
Write SEO headlines to increase Internet viewership and to simplify finding key stories for our readers.
Prioritize online story placement to keep websites must-see, fresh destinations. As a result, the three combined websites
receive an average of 9 million page views on a monthly basis, with more than 800,000 unique visitors. Coverage of flooding in
the Binghamton region in September 2011 generated 5.1 million page views on two consecutive days.
Other Skills/Knowledge
Skilled at Microsoft Office programs to manage job requirements. Experience using Quark desktop publishing, editorial
and layout software.
Work closely with marketing department, ensuring proper placement of house advertisements and promotions.
Assistant News Editor (2007 - 2010)
Helped manage staff that produced the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin on a daily basis, serving as news editor at least two days a
week. Served as nighttime Digital Editor for pressconnects.com. Managed website revolution, focusing on SEO headlines, story
placement and photos while rotating content to constantly provide a fresh look for our readers.
Sports Editor
Ithaca Journal, Ithaca, N.Y., 1999-2007
Editing role included managing department, assigning print and web content coverage, writing and editing articles, and conducting
and overseeing layout. Master of all trades, often producing two stories, editing numerous others, posting stories to the web, and
producing 4-to-5 broadsheet pages for print on a nightly basis. Managed three-person staff as well as freelancers and interns. Prime
writing areas of expertise included college football, college hockey and college basketball, focusing on Cornell University. Was
awarded the 2006 Ben Mintz/Cornell University Media Award, given annually to a media expert for “exceptional support of Cornell
in particular and college athletics in general.” Other winners include Keith Olbermann and Dick Schaap.
Communications Accomplishments
Wrote informative, interesting content daily, including feature articles, columns and game reports, providing readers with
insight into the local sports scene. Many articles highlighted key issues of the day, going beyond traditional sports coverage and
earning placement on the front page of the newspaper.
Attended community events to gain insight into reader thoughts and needs. Conducted question-and-answer sessions
discussing the newspaper’s role in the community, to uncover story topics and to search for ways to better serve readers.
Leadership Accomplishments
Supervised team of freelance communications specialists, including several weekly columnists, to enhance local sports
coverage by focusing on specialized subject areas.
Managed, coached and mentored team of interns from area colleges who filled roles from data entry to writing game stories
and features, depending on individual skill sets. Was presented the 2006 Ithaca College Leadership and Service Award by the
IC Department of Sports Management and Media for work assisting school interns.
Worked with cross-functional team to enhance the product and make the best use of available resources, communicating
with and utilizing skills of photo, graphics and marketing departments.
Managed sports budget ranging from $250 to $1,000 a month to cover travel costs and payment of freelance
communications specialists.
Education
Master of Arts in Teaching, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
Bachelor of Arts in History, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee.