S.J. Velasquez on Muck Rack

S.J. Velasquez

Verified
Buffalo
As seen in: Buffalo Toronto Public Media, MSN, MSN Brasil, BBC, Terra Byte, Code Switch, NPR, Correio Braziliense, Flipboard, Estado De Minas, The Salt Lake Tribune and
Covers:  religion, death and dying, pop culture, autos and mass transit, travel, society, etymology, irish dance, buffalo ny
Director of Audio Strategy, BTPM.org │ formerly @bbc, @thebuffalonews, @syracusedotcom │ @SyracuseU, @Canisius_Univ, @_UoW alumna

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S.J. Velasquez’s Biography

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I’m currently the Director of Audio Strategy at Buffalo Toronto Public Media, where I oversee the vision and growth for our three primary radio and streaming services: BTPM NPR (WBFO), BTPM Classical (WNED) and The Bridge. It’s a role that lets me lean into my obsession with high-quality multimedia storytelling while making sure our digital and broadcast strategies are actually working in sync.

Before returning home to Buffalo, I spent a decade at the BBC. Most recently, I was a Senior Producer…

S.J. Velasquez’s Journalist Portfolio

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My family is buried in a car park

My family is buried in a car park

Gary Hartloff lives just a couple minutes down the road from the small cemetery where his ancestors are burie…

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The man who makes six figures rating dogs

The man who makes six figures rating dogs

At just 21, Matt Nelson is making in the "six-figure range" by rating dogs on Twitter. Nelson runs WeRateDogs…

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Do our names push us towards certain jobs?

Do our names push us towards certain jobs?

A proctologist called Dr Butts, a pastry chef called Baker - is it sheer coincidence, or does the universe ha…

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The weird tale behind ice cream jingles

The weird tale behind ice cream jingles

Each year, a new batch of hot summer songs hits airwaves and earbuds, dominating top-40 charts and iTunes sal…

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Star Wars' most iconic vehicles, illustrated

Star Wars' most iconic vehicles, illustrated

The Star Wars films have influenced pop culture in a way no other cinematic series has, even earning itself a…

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Today's Irish Dancers Step Away From Stereotype

Today's Irish Dancers Step Away From Stereotype

When Riverdance debuted 20 years ago, Irish step dancers - whether citizens of Ireland or any other country -…

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Articles

Buffalo neighborhoods gear up for Beggars Night celebrations

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By S.J. Velasquez Verified
| What’s Next? (Podcast)
It's Halloween Eve, also known as Beggars Night, in communities throughout Western New York. For some locals, that means trick-or-treating the night before Halloween — maybe even two nights of candy collection in a row. The Kaisertown and Lovejoy neighborhoods in Buffalo are among the most active communities celebrating Beggars Night in WNY. There's even a Beggars Night in Kaisertown Facebook page dedicated to keeping the community informed of pre-Halloween activities.
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HBO drops official 'Hard Knocks' trailer featuring Buffalo Bills

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By S.J. Velasquez Verified
| Buffalo Toronto Public Media
HBO dropped the trailer for "Hard Knocks: Training Camp" featuring the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday. The action-packed video runs less than two minutes, highlighting moments from past football seasons as well as what HBO calls an "unprecedented, all-access look at the Buffalo Bills in their training camp" at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, NY.
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Ryan leads Scanlon in Buffalo mayoral primary race

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By S.J. Velasquez Verified
| Buffalo Toronto Public Media
City of Buffalo mayoral candidate Sean Ryan surged ahead of Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon with more than 90% of primary day votes counted. BTPM NPR reporter Holly Kirkpatrick reports a celebratory atmosphere at Ryan's primary headquarters at Babeville. Follow BTPM NPR's whip-around coverage of primary election results as results roll in. This includes breakdowns from our studio panel, live check-ins from campaign headquarters and phone interviews with prominent local figures.
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Interview

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Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes, I did use a typewriter back in elementary school to write up school reports. I actually own a beautiful, old typewriter now.

Who's your favorite fictional journalist?

Lois Lane

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

A simple, personalized email with a brief pitch. Include all the facts (who, what, where, when, why) and a list of contact information.

Awards

Pulitzer Prize finalist (The Buffalo News staff)

2015 - Breaking News

"For a superbly reported and written account of a lake-effect snowstorm, using human detail to illuminate the story and multimedia elements to help readers through the storm."

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