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Eric Scicchitano on Muck Rack

Eric Scicchitano

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Shamokin
As seen in: CNHI, Daily Item, Danville News, MSN Canada, MSN UK, Yahoo Canada, Yahoo News, Yahoo News Malaysia, Yahoo News New Zealand, Yahoo Singapore, ABC News, Aol, Yahoo Finance and
Covers:  Addiction and recovery, crime, education, business. I prefer issues impacting rural areas, especially the economically challenged.
I'm mostly on Twitter only for Sixers updates.

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Eric Scicchitano’s Biography

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I'm a veteran community newspaper journalist seeking freelance writing profiles. During my last three years at The Daily Item in Sunbury, PA, I developed an award-winning beat covering addiction and recovery in rural Pennsylvania. I'm also experienced in writing personality profiles, community features and stories about arts and entertainment.

Eric Scicchitano’s Journalist Portfolio

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Making amends on the edges of The Badlands

Making amends on the edges of The Badlands

Social ills that mark the symptoms of heroin and opioid addiction are hidden no better in the shade of the el…

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Sunbury man's struggles in wake of doctor's arrest highlight depth of opioid crisis

Sunbury man's struggles in wake of doctor's arrest highlight depth of opioid crisis

A burning, stabbing pain shoots through the neck of Scott Dietrich, and he's all out of pain pills. "Like a h…

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Valley trio among baseball's elite

Valley trio among baseball's elite

Long are the odds to become a professional baseball player. Longer still are the odds to be enshrined in the …

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Putting a face to recovery: New Columbia woman tells of addiction, sobriety

Putting a face to recovery: New Columbia woman tells of addiction, sobriety

Enough light shone through the empty cardboard box inside which Tricia Dauberman hid in wait to surprise her …

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Opioid addiction driving foster placements

Opioid addiction driving foster placements

It's no coincidence the rise in children ordered into foster care came amid the spike in the ongoing heroin a…

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Finding Foster Families: Officials struggle to meet demand

Finding Foster Families: Officials struggle to meet demand

Jerod Waller slides a backpack weighted with college texts from his shoulders, no doubt relieving the 19-year…

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Articles

Pa. House to make unscheduled return as court deadline looms on felony murder sentence

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By Eric Scicchitano Verified
| Meadville Tribune Verified
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton called a voting session for today, one day ahead of the expiration of a state Supreme Court-imposed stay in a ruling that overturned mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder. The court gave state lawmakers until Friday, 120 calendar days since its ruling that the mandatory life sentence was unconstitutional, to reach a legislative solution instituting a new framework for sentencing and parole eligibility.
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Pa. legislators bolster law to restrict telemarketing robocalls, ban spoofing

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By Eric Scicchitano Verified
| Meadville Tribune Verified
HARRISBURG — Restrictions on telemarketing robocalls and text messages, a ban on spoofing names and phone numbers for caller ID, and limiting when legal solicitations are permitted have been amended into existing Pennsylvania law. State Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer, introduced Senate Bill 992. After being considered and amended in both chambers of the Legislature, the measure passed unanimously through both the House and Senate on July 12.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (4) Issue with article?

New Pa. law targets CDL mills accused of producing unsafe drivers

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By Eric Scicchitano Verified
| Meadville Tribune Verified
HARRISBURG — CDL mills are targeted for stricter penalties under the terms of legislation enacted into Pennsylvania law this week. Senate Bill 1294 from Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair/Fulton/Huntingdon/Juniata/Mifflin, breezed through the House and Senate in about three months, advancing through both chambers of the General Assembly with little resistance before being signed into law Monday by Gov. Josh Shapiro. kAm%96 AC@G:D:@?D H:E9:?
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

I worked at a weekly newspaper in Ashland, Pa., The Schuylkill Saturday.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

Early and often! I prefer email, allowing for quick answers, but believe that a followup by a phone call is important. That's old-school now.

Awards

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Reporter of the Year

2016 - Best of CNHI

An in-house award from parent company Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. recognizing Scicchitano as its best reporter in its largest division of daily newspapers for 2016.

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Pennsylvania Associated Press Media Editors awards

2017 - Best Feature Story - Second Place

From the judges' comments: Second Place The (Sunbury) Daily Item Eric Scicchitano "Putting a Face to Recovery" Through interviews with a young mother and her family members, the writer captures the struggle the woman faces recovering from addiction. The story puts a face on the challenge and what it means to both the woman and her family. The reporter might consider following up with her a year later and including a sidebar with stats on recovery rates.

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Pennsylvania Associated Press Media Editors awards

2016 - Best General News Reporting - 2016

From the judges' comments: Second Place The (Sunbury) Daily Item Eric Scicchitano The potency of the interviews puts this entry over the top. Decades from now, when most of the breaking news of the world is water under the bridge, these interviews will still burn holes in readers' hearts. Combined with the issue reporting, this is a winner among some stiff competition.