District director Daveen Rae Kurutz
Employer: Trib Total Media
Experience: Currently reporting for the Murrysville Star, focusing on Marcellus shale coverage. I was hired by Trib Total Media in 2006, just five months after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. I spent 4.5 years writing for the news desk of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, covering education and suburban life. I also wrote for another Trib Total Media Weekly, the McKnight Journal. Previously, I have written for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Daily News in McKeesport.
I received my master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Point Park University in 2009. I also worked my way through undergrad as a pharmacy technician.
Personal: Married to Shawn McLaughlin, an IT and data specialist. We just celebrated our 1 year anniversary in February, which means we were married on a day that more than two feet of snow fell in Pittsburgh. My hobbies include bowling and Penguins hockey.
Tip: Listen to your instincts and don’t be afraid to push people’s buttons. Just because a story looks like a duck and quacks like one doesn’t mean it will actually fly. If something feels off, keep digging – you’ll be surprised at what you may find.
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