Xandra Ellin

♦ xanellin@gmail.com♦

EDUCATION

Wesleyan University​- Middletown, CT

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and American Studies

Graduated with both Honors and High Honors | Thorndike Prize for Excellence in Psychology Recipient 

Honors Thesis: ​My thesis combined radio history, psychology and social movement theories to determine the psychological and sociocultural phenomena that have historically made local, noncommercial radio stations viable vehicles for grassroots social change.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Producer, Pineapple Street Media — Brooklyn, NY

October 2020 to Present

• Script, book, direct,  cut, and score episodes of a variety of podcasts, ranging from long-form narrative documentaries to quick-turnaround chat programming

‘On the Media’ Assistant Producer, ​WNYC Studios— New York, NY

January to July 2019 and February to October 2020

• Pitched, research and prepare segments to air on WNYC’s ‘On the Media’

• Head writer of weekly On the Media newsletter

• Edited segments using Pro Tools

Associate Podcast Producer, ​CNN Audio — New York, NY

September 2019 to February 2020

• Researched and scripted three episodes of a new CNN original podcast, ​The Jeffrey Epstein I Knew

• Conducted interviews with guests for broadcast and set up interviews between the host and guests

• Helped develop the burgeoning CNN Audio unit

‘Death, Sex & Money’ Assistant Producer, WNYC Studios — New York, NY

July 2019 to September 2019

• Scripted and edited longform audio pieces using Pro Tools 

• Wrote social media, weekly newsletter and web copy 

• Researched and fact-checked episodes 

Social Media Assistant, ​Democracy Now! — New York, NY

January 2019 to July 2019

● Live tweeted during episodes of Democracy Now!

● Pulled video footage from the live show, upload to Youtube and write social media copy to accompany it

Production Intern, ​St. Louis Public Radio— St. Louis, MO

September 2018 to December 2018

• Researched segments and contacted guests for live episodes

• Devised creative pitches for daily episodes of ​St. Louis on the Air\

•  Operated the board during the live show and performed pre and post-production editing tasks

• Wrote web copy for live shows that adhered to AP and station style guidelines

Production Intern, ​Connecticut Public Radio—Hartford, CT

June 2018 to August 2018

• Produced original episodes (including performing research, finding guests, and writing scripts) to air live on WNPR

•  Pitched and researched stories for upcoming episodes of “Where We Live” and “The Colin McEnroe Show”

• Answered listener phone calls during live shows

• Cut live episodes to podcast format using Adboe audition and scheduled shows for reruns

Senior Interviewer/Application Reader​, Wesleyan University Admissions—Middletown, CT

August 2017 to May 2018

• Interviewed prospective Wesleyan students to assess their viability as a candidate for admission to the university

• Led information sessions alongside deans to educate visiting students and parents

• Read student applications and made recommendations regarding admission

Production Intern​, “Midday” on WYPR – Baltimore, MD

November 2016 to January 2017 and May 2017 to August 2017

• Researched, scripted, and contacted guests for two episodes of “Midday” to air

• Screened calls during live shows to ensure that listener questions were pertinent, appropriate, and interesting

• Wrote billboards and promos to be read live on air, and used these to create web copy using WordPress

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Public Affairs Director, ​88.1 WESU—Middletown, CT April 2017 to May 2018

• Maintained the station’s public file to demonstrate commitment to public service through public affairs programming

• Created a comprehensive list of public affairs standards to ensure that public affairs programming fulfills the WESU mission 

Coordinator, ​The Middletown Youth Radio Project—Middletown, CT September 2017 to May 2018

Assist a group of middle school students in the brainstorming and execution of a half-hour weekly radio talk show 

SKILLS

Computer: MS Office Suite, Final Cut Pro, Word Press

Audio Editing: ProTools, Adobe Audition, Hindenburg, ENCO, Garageband, Other Special Skills: Certified Bartender, Acting, Beginner Sign Language