Tim Sampson Content Writer & Editor

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Versatile digital writer and editor with strong marketing, journalism and comedy background

  • 10+ years of experience with major media brands including Paramount+, MTV and The Onion

  • My proudest Onion headline is still "U.S. Mint Introduces New Double-Stuf Quarters"

EXPERIENCE

Copywriter, Curation & Operations | Paramount, New York & Remote | Oct. 2017 — Dec. 2023

  • Wrote and edited UX, marketing and social copy for high-volumn streaming platforms like BET+, Hulu and MTV.com

  • Communicated with stakeholders to ensure on-time publishing of The Daily Show, MTV VMAs, Yellowstone and other priority series and events

  • Spearheaded initiative to create intellectual property information guides for internal reference and consumer-facing use

  • Reasearched and wrote content for style guide newsletter distributed throughout company

  • Created and implemented push-alert and social media strategies for Paramount+ upsells

Staff Writer & Contributor | The Onion, Chicago | Oct. 2012 — Jan. 2023

  • Contributed satiric jokes, articles and podcast stories to The Onion and its sister site Clickhole

  • Pitched and wrote scripts for short-form comedic series including The Onion Film Standard

  • Served as staff writer for Onion-affiliated website StarWipe, lampooning celebrity gossip

  • Helped craft StarWipe's editorial voice and managed a team of over 20 freelance writers

Writing Instructor | The Second City, Chicago | March 2015 — March 2018

  • Taught fundamentals of comedy writing and provided critical feedback to students as part of The Second City Training Center’s “Writing with The Onion” program

  • Aided in development of online version of the same course

Reporter | The Daily Dot, Austin, Texas | Dec. 2012 — June 2015

  • Wrote news and feature stories covering online communities and the early rise of Web3 technology

Staff Writer | Missouri News Horizon, Jefferson City, MO | Jan. 2011 — April 2012

  • Provided multimedia beat coverage of the Missouri Senate for statewide newswire service

Education & Health Reporter | The Kerrville Daily Times, Kerrville, Texas | May 2009 — Dec. 2010

  • Wrote the education and health beats for Kerr County, Texas

  • Assisted in multimedia content, including photography, videography and social media

EDUCATION

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio | Bachelor’s in Journalism with History Minor

  • Graduated — December 2008

  • Executive Editor — The BG News, a daily student newspaper