I work as an editor on the investigations team at Radio Free Asia, a government-funded but independently run news service that reports on countries that do not have a free press of their own. We've examined allegations of illicit wildlife trade from Cambodia, the harassment of female journalists of Asian descent, and the exploitation of migrants from Myanmar, among other topics.

Before RFA, I worked as a graduate assistant while I was getting a master's in journalism from the University of Nebraska. I worked as a reporter at Bloomberg News for five years, covering the battle over the Keystone XL pipeline and the collapse of solar manufacturer Solyndra. I've also been a reporter and an editor at The Hill newspaper and a news editor at Argus Media, a London-based company that covers commodity markets and assesses commodity prices.

sjim70@yahoo.com; snyderj@rfa.org

Experience

Radio Free Asia, Editor, Investigations                              Oct. 1 - present

I conceive, write and edit enterprise stories about the political structure and social conditions of Southeast and East Asian countries that don't have free presses of their own.

Radio Free Asia, Night Editor                                                     Nov. 1 - Sept. 30

I edited stories about Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, North Korea and China.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hitchcock Fellow       2019 – 2021

I worked as a graduate assistant at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications as I pursued a master’s degree in journalism.

• Taught four sections of an introductory communications design course using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, three classes on technical writing, and assisted in an introductory photography class.
• Helped edit an award-winning student reporting project on climate change (www.climatechangenebraska.com) and lectured on reporting best practices.
• Wrote series on how COVID-19 affected marginalized and vulnerable populations in one hotspot (jsnyder36.journoportfolio.com).

Argus Media, News Editor                                                 2015 – 2019

I edited a team of 15 journalists who covered energy policy and commodity trading for this international energy pricing service and newswire.

• Developed story ideas and trained new reporters.
• Led seminars on news writing and developed reporting packages that won the bureau’s first Society of Professional Journalists newswriting awards.
• Wrote and hosted client webinars on upcoming presidential and congressional elections.

Bloomberg News, Reporter                                               2010 – 2015

I covered energy and environmental regulation, including issues relating to the Keystone XL pipeline, oil train safety, crude exports and the Solyndra solar bankruptcy.

• First to report on a key government analysis for Keystone and how lobbying by the rail industry changed proposed oil train regulations.
• Co-wrote investigative series examining the Obama administration’s transparency record that was a finalist for Scripps Howard and Online News Association awards.
• Contributed to Businessweek and wrote a cover story on Obama’s green jobs record for a special magazine produced during the 2012 Democratic convention.
• Appeared on C-span to discuss energy issues.

The Hill, Lobbying Editor, Reporter                                    2003 – 2010

I oversaw a four-person team that won numerous awards for coverage of the lobbying industry. I also reported on energy and environmental policy and helped develop a policy blog.

Education

Master of Arts, professional journalism, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2021. Hitchcock Fellowship. 

Bachelor of Arts, journalism, University of Iowa. 2001.