Journalist, Digital Strategist & Comic

Will Flannigan

About Me

Will Flannigan is a reader-focused multimedia professional with a history of executing innovative ideas that increase user engagement across platforms. He also enjoys making live audiences involuntarily erupt in laughter.

Will believes journalism went through an approachability crisis for many years. The explosion of social media upended generations of journalistic instinct and forced many legacy reporters, editors and publishers to face a grim reality: legacy media was competing for audience with digital-only outlets, television, film, video games and other forms of infotainment.

He believes newsrooms must change the way they approach journalism, and publishing, to continue bringing high-quality, factual and unbiased information to the public.

Work Experience

The Wall Street Journal - New York City

Senior SEO Editor - May 2022 - Present

Trisolute News Dashboard - Phoenix

U.S. Expansion Manager, SEO Nerd - Nov. 2019 - Oct. 2021

The Trisolute News Dashboard is a Google SERP and Google News visibility tool exclusively for newsrooms. Will worked with newsrooms across the country to assist in their SEO efforts. During his time at The News Dashboard several prestigious newsrooms signed on as new customers including The Washington Post, USA Today and People.com.

The Arizona Republic - Phoenix

Video Innovation Strategist - May 2018 - Nov. 2019

Will used his skills in Premiere Pro and After Effects to create a visual style for azcentral videos and to enrich video content across the website. He also managed azcentral’s YouTube page, growing its audience by more than 700 percent in eight months. Additionally, he helped produce and direct a variety of videos including live shows (including political debates), fact checks, explainers and news pieces.

Social News / Video Planner - Sept. 2017 - May 2018

Will worked with reporters, editors and designers to produce stories, video and other multimedia with a focus on a social audience. Common story forms included: explainers, listicles, interactive maps, searchable databases, highly visual landing pages and more. He also managed and edited a reporter who was on the lookout for stories that had shareable potential.

Online Producer - March 2014 - Sept. 2017

Will worked on azcentral’s digital desk . While there he copy edited stories, crafted headlines and consulted with reporters and editors on how to format stories for a digital audience. He also utilized SEO, HTML, CSS, Adobe Analytics, Mapping and Data Visualization tools to help broaden audience and bring additional depth to azcentral’s reporting.

Freelance Web Administrator/Consultant (2014 - Present)

Will's approach to web design and management is a collaborative and inclusive one. He works with clients one-on-one to suss out their immediate needs and their long-term goals. After an initial design and set-up, he trains clients on site management.

Farm & Dairy - Salem, Ohio (April 2012 - March 2014)

Digital Editor / Designer

Will brought Farm and Dairy into the digital age with a strategy that took the paper’s core audience and expanded it by targeting homesteaders and young farmers with relevant content including videos and infographics. Will reported on alternative agriculture including aquaculture, vertical farming and other forward-looking movements within farming.

Skills