Melanie Anzidei, 31

Sports Reporter, The Record Newspaper and Northjersey.com

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, minors in journalism, Italian and computer graphic design, Fairleigh Dickinson University (Florham); Master of Science in Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

What advice do you have for other young professionals in the news industry?

Find your passion, and don’t be afraid to pursue it. Journalism is not an easy industry to get into, and it’s an even harder industry to stay in. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget why you got into it in the first place. Finding a passion within the profession helps tremendously.

I always knew I wanted to be a journalist. It wasn’t until journalism school, when I took Professor Sandy Padwe’s sports reporting class, that I realized I could marry my love of hard news storytelling and my passion for sports into one. That stuck with me in the early years of my career.

I would pitch sports stories to my editors on the business desk when I first started at The Record, and even find ways to cover sports stories as a municipal government reporter. I worked my way up the newsroom ladder until I found the right moment to approach my bosses and pitch an entirely new enterprise sports beat, where I now get to cover the stories I’m most passionate about. It’s been a game-changer for me. The work we do when we want to do it? That’s when we can really start to make a difference through our storytelling.

Also, know your worth. Never underestimate the unique perspective you bring to the table, and always ask for that raise.

How are you personally engaging with your readers?

Over the summer, I launched a weekly column called “Women & Sport” that focuses on women’s sports stories across North Jersey. It’s been incredible to hear from so many readers statewide who voice their relief in having someone covering these stories in New Jersey. Because I’m one of a handful of people reporting on this important topic regularly here, there is no shortage of readers reaching out with ideas through email. It sounds so obvious and old-school, but that’s how I engage with readers. I write them back.

I thank them. I follow up on their story suggestions. I ask them who else I should reach out to. It becomes this never-ending cycle, where I’m constantly finding new stories thanks to the people who keep up with my work.