Matt Wilhalme

Summary

Innovative media professional with more than a decade of experience across top newsrooms. Skilled at leading end-to-end content workflows from planning and creation through editorial review, technical implementation, delivery and audience engagement. Adept at troubleshooting technical distribution systems and content pipelines and optimizing high quality output. Proven ability to launch features and shepherd content strategies that boost engagement, streamline processes and support growth.

Experience

U.S. Media Solutions & Content Specialist — SmartNews

Tokyo, Japan / San Francisco, California — October 2023 – Present

• Partnered directly with publishers to identify and resolve issues with XML feeds while ensuring compliance with SmartFormat standards to achieve a seamless experience from website to app.
• Spearheaded feature development, including vertical video display, from concept through launch in collaboration with engineering teams in Japan.
• Created content tuning rules and overrides to improve user experience and delivery of content.
• Executed cross-functional projects such as our IPv6 migration, 2024 Election channel creation and ranking, and A/B testing initiatives with product managers.
• Evaluated LLM output to identify weak spots in understanding and provide data for improving prompts and overall performance.
• Served as a central resource for bug tracking, internal documentation, and cross-team knowledge sharing.
• Programmed news presentation for the SmartNews app by curating and organizing content from hundreds of publishers to create coherent daily reports.
• Sent Breaking News and custom push notifications using data-driven approaches to story selection, aimed at increasing Daily Active Users (DAU) and improving Click-Through Rates (CTR).
• Managed a team of content editors to ensure effective story selection across a diverse set of publishers. Crafted compelling headlines, push alert language, and content plans while advocating for improved visual formats to enhance user engagement.
• Onboarded approximately 500 new publisher brands and served as the main point of contact for support regarding feed issues, traffic fluctuations, technical problems, and planning.

Editor II, Multiplatform — Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, California — January 2020 - August 2023

• Oversaw homepage and alert presentation during high-impact news events including COVID-19, the George Floyd protests, the 2020 Election, and major sporting events.
• Crafted timely push alerts and social media copy while managing breaking news across multiple platforms including Apple News.
• Led team of homepage producers by anticipating the next steps in the news cycle and what reaction could be expected from stakeholders and government offices.
• Developed innovative visual formats to increase audience recirculation.
• Provided cross-departmental support for story layout, SEO optimization, and technical troubleshooting.
• Monitored real-time performance using Chartbeat and internal analytics tools.
• Managed branded social media accounts, promoting articles and special projects.

Digital Planner / Assistant Sports Editor — Arizona Republic

Phoenix, Arizona — June 2018 - December 2019

• Directed digital strategy for the Sports section, including social media, and collaborated across teams on subscriber-exclusive initiatives as part of the Audience Champions group.
• Supervised a team of 15+ writers and producers, from assigning stories and editing to final production for web, print, and social.
• Co-created the Emmy and APSE award-winning docuseries Beyond the Gridiron: The Mountain, profiling an underdog high school football team. Ran promotion of the series on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Developed and hosted a live weekly high school football highlight show.
• Produced analytics reports and managed daily and long term metrics goals. Created publishing plans based on reader behavior and testing.

Web Producer — Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, California — October 2012 - June 2018

• Acted as liaison between editors, writers, copy editors, and designers to ensure seamless digital production.
• Created internal bookmarklet tools and pages to automate repetitive edits and email practices.
• Developed an NFL Red Zone–style live blog for the 2017 season, serving as the primary second-screen NFL experience.
• Created a “live” NFL mock draft using Twitter as a megaphone to showcase real-time team picks selected by beat writers.
• Delivered daily analytics reports and audience insights to guide publishing strategies, SEO usage, and timing.

Editor — NFL Media

Culver City, California — March 2012 - September 2012

• Managed digital editorial operations, including assigning stories, editing content, and determining front-page placement.
• Supervised a team of writers and editors during breaking news and high-traffic windows.