“Jessica is a very accomplished, and I think very talented and gifted new journalist…take a look at Jessica if you’re interested in somebody who knows how to market, because this woman knows how to market at almost an intuitive level.”

- Dave Winer, Visiting Scholar at NYU and Early Web Pioneer

About Me
Hi! I’m Jessica Roy, a 22-year-old writer and journalist who recently graduated from NYU. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania and moved to New York in 2006. I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I penned my first story at age six. Entitled “Caroline’s Chemistry Set” and scribbled on a piece of construction paper, it revolved around a little girl who saves a plane from crashing by somehow pouring chlorine into the engine. This is ironic for two reasons: 1) Chemistry sets are in no way allowed on planes, and 2) I’m terrified of flying.

At heart I’m an essayist, so most of the writing you’ll find on my blog falls into that genre. I reminisce too much, bruise too easily and write because I have to, because if I didn’t I would eventually explode.

You can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, or listen to me read my essays.

Greatest Hits
These are things I’ve written that still keep me up at night.

Education and Work
In May 2010 I graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study, where students forge their own educational path by designing personalized majors. My major fused my interests in narrative journalism, technology and media and was appropriately titled: New Media and Journalism.

My professional interests range from the geeky to the super geeky. I tend to primarily write on media criticism, technology, culture, feminism, the internet and books. In August 2010, I was named one of the top 10 people who matter to college media by Dan Reimold at the Associated Collegiate Press.

I recently moved to San Francisco and am the Community Genius at social media start-up Context Optional. I have business cards and everything! You can read the things I write for Context here.

The Fun Stuff

Millennials Magazine

I am currently the Story Editor for the online publication Millennials Magazine, which seeks to represent and redefine what it means to be a young person today. Our first issue drops in September, and will feature articles on everything from embarrassing middle school screennames to #modernromance to think pieces on “why I’m 25 and live in my parents’ basement.”

TK

Along with my friend Katie, I started TK, a group for Bay Area-based young writers who want to geek out about media and develop some sweet journalism and multimedia projects. Please contact me if you’d like to join!

Past Projects

  • From December 2009 to May 2010, I was the Editor-in-chief for hyperlocal campus news blog NYU Local. Launched two years ago as a mouthpiece of news and culture for the NYU community, I was responsible for managing content, overseeing a staff of 25 fellow students, as well as editing and writing posts. From May 2009 to December 2009, I was the Entertainment Editor for the site. My work for NYU Local can be found here.
  • From January 2010 to May 2010, I was a staff editor and developer for the New York Times East Village Local blog, a hyperlocal blog dedicated to East Village community news. I was responsible for helping to generate user content, as well as writing and editing. The site will be launching in August here.
  • From January 2009 to May 2010, I was an editorial assistant at the Library Journal Book Review Magazine, where I keyed, edited and wrote reviews, sorted incoming galleys and wrote some occasional HTML. Read some of my work for LJ here.
  • From November 2008-February 2010: Along with a friend, I wrote a culture and media crit blog, Jess and Josh Talk About Stuff, which became popular within the NYU community and beyond.
  • From August 2009 to December 2009: I was the Culture Intern for Salon, where I did everything from interview transcription to writing features and contributing to the women’s news blog, Broadsheet. My writing for Salon can be found here.
  • Spring 2009: I took a class called New Media Research Studio, where I created videos, podcasts and posts concerning the internet, journalism and social media. You can find my work for the class here.
  • Fall 2008: Travel correspondent for the Huffington Post. My work for HuffPo can be found here.
  • My work has appeared in Salon, Gawker, New York Magazine’s Daily Intel and 02138 Magazine, and has been linked to by The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, CNN.com, Jezebel, and Radar.
  • Listen to me discuss millennials and new media on a podcast conducted by journalist Michelle Haimoff here.