“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 23-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 or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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 about 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 am currently a Community Genius at social marketing company Context Optional, where I work to grow, manage and moderate the social presences of Fortune 500 brands. I’m also a blogger for Mediabistro’s 10,000 Words, where I write about journalism, media and technology. In my (basically non-existant) spare time, I’m an active freelancer; recently, I was hired to write a social strategy for amNewYork, and I also write freelance stories for various news outlets.

Greatest Hits

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

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 developing the Virtual Assignment Desk, a plug-in that streamlines the process of collecting citizen contributions.
  • 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 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.
  • Fall 2008: Travel correspondent for the Huffington Post. My work for HuffPo can be found here.
  • My work has appeared in Salon, Gawker, The Daily, New York Magazine’s Daily Intel, The Nieman Journalism Lab and GOOD, 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.