Maureen Schriner has 19 years of professional communication experience and is currently a freelance publicist and corporate writer, doctoral student and instructor.

She began her career as a print reporter. She worked for two daily newspapers in North Dakota, the Bismarck Tribune and Grand Forks Herald, and then moved to television, reporting and producing for Minnesota Public Television’s weekly public affairs program, Almanac. During her nine years as a reporter, her primary beats were government, politics and public affairs. She spent seven years covering the Minnesota Legislature and did extensive reporting on health care news.

For the past 10 years, she has worked in public relations, as an employee and freelancer. She has provided communications for some of Minnesota’s largest health care organizations, including Allina Health System, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Delta Dental, Mayo Clinic and Minnesota Physician Publishing.

Her doctoral studies mark her third major career, in academic teaching and research. Her area of interest is health care communications, based on her diverse professional experience communicating about health care issues.

 

Current Research Interests:

• The influence of mass media on health

• Mass communication of health information

• New media and Internet studies

 

Education:

PhD – admitted in Fall, 2005, to the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication

MA – Public Affairs: Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota

BA – Journalism and Political Science: University of North Dakota

 

Professional Experience:

9 years in print and broadcast media

• • Primary beats: local government, state legislatures, politics, public affairs issues

  • 4½ years: reporter, daily newspapers in North Dakota ( Bismarck and Grand Forks)

  • 4½ years: reporter and producer for Minnesota Public Television, producing weekly reports for Almanac, contributing stories to National Public Broadcast documentaries and producing a political documentary

  10 years in corporate communications

• • Extensive experience as a corporate communicator for health care organizations

  • Currently publicist and freelance writer for numerous Minnesota companies

  • Experience with a wide array of corporate communications, ranging from strategic planning and crisis communications to implementing comprehensive, multi-media campaigns and producing print, broadcast and Internet materials.

Publications:

Numerous bylined and ghost-written articles published in newspapers, magazines and Web sites, most recently as author of articles in Law & Politics magazine and Minnesota Healthcare News and as editor and writer for the City of Eagan’s quarterly newsletter Eagan Business News.

 

TA, RA, or Other UM Appointments:

Instructor: PR Writing & Campaign Tactics – Spring 2006

Teaching assistant: Mass Communication & Politics – Fall 2005

 

Personal Life:

Married, with three children, ages 3, 7 and 10. Home: based in Eagan. Hobbies: family activities (going sledding, swimming, bowling, skating, museum exploring, playing street ball, tennis, etc.); watching family activities (dance, soccer, gymnastics, Match Box car races, etc.); taking snapshots of family (doing all of the above). In “spare” time, biking, reading, writing, golfing, antique shopping, traveling and volunteering.