PORTFOLIO
The foundations of my storytelling have been the same for years.
Journalistic authenticity. People-centered storytelling. And an approach guided by humanity, dignity, and empathy.
Watch my work with Pearl Impact Media, and you'll see those foundations in action.
FRIENDS OF VAIL FOUNDATION
I first told Vail's story in 2019 as a journalist with WXIA-TV. Five years later, when I announced the launch of Pearl Impact Media, her parents reached out.
They told me they had run my story every year at their annual benefit. Now they were looking for a new one, a video that both honored their daughter and highlighted their foundation.
I produced this video for the Friends of Vail Foundation's 2024 benefit, where it played for hundreds.
PURPOSE BUILT SCHOOLS ATLANTA
An Atlanta mainstay since 2016, PBSA sought a video that established the variety of opportunities and pathways at their three schools.
I shot ten interviews, collected footage from a dozen classes, and distilled it all into a video that captures their mission and message that now headlines their web site.
INVEST IN OUR FUTURE
This video is a beautiful example of telling an organization's story through the voices of those it serves.
Invest in Our Future was formed to help solar and clean energy nonprofits implement funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. Two years into their run, they sought a video that showcased their monumental impact in such a short time.
I shot interviews and footage in suburban D.C. and the Bay Area. I then folded in video from several of IOF's grantees to convey the full scope of their impact.
Reporting Through the Years
Before I started Pearl Impact Media, I spent two decades as a broadcast journalist.
My work sent me all over the world and was awarded with some of the nation's highest honors.
Here are some of my favorite stories through the years, which helped set the table for the work I do today.
THE LOVE OF CARE
More than 53 million Americans identify as family caregivers. This documentary, which ran in December 2022 on Scripps stations nationwide, explores journeys that so often don't get publicly discussed.
2023 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards, 3rd Place: Documentary Long-Form
PLAN G
Local news barely covers climate beyond the headlines. We decided to change it in a big way at WXIA-TV in Atlanta. I shot, wrote, and edited this documentary short that looked at climate solutions across the state of Georgia.
2020 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award: Documentary
IN CONSTRUCTION
Atlanta consistently ranks among the worst cities in America for income inequality I shot, wrote, and edited this chronicle of a program looking to turn that around.
2019 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award: Documentary
2019 Regional Emmy Award: Documentary
NORTH OF THE BORDER
Researchers in Vancouver gave $7,500 each to dozens of unhoused individuals. What they learned resulted in global attention. I traveled solo north of the border to shoot, write, and edit this story for Scripps News.
2024 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards: 1st Place, Hard News Feature
FIGHTING FOR HOME
Back in 2021, I traveled to West Virginia and found people who felt forgotten after investing in an industry and thinking it would be around forever. I profiled an unlikely, if minor, solution.
2022 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards: 1st Place, Hard News Feature
BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AMERICA
Barely a month after a mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store, I found a community navigating trauma long after the cameras had left. I produced this story for Scripps news stations nationwide.
2023 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards: 2nd Place, Hard News Feature
PRIDE IN THE PEWS
I shot and edited this story in fall 2023 for Scripps News. I didn't know then it would be the most fitting precursor to the type of storytelling I do today for Pearl Impact Media.
2024 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards: 3rd Place, Serious Photo Essay Edit
DESTIGMATIZING DEATH
As birth doulas have become more common and accepted, "death doulas" have begun to arise around a subject where guidance is often desperately needed. I shot, wrote, and edited this story for Scripps stations in 2023.
2023 NPPA Quarterly Contest: 1st Place, Solo In-Depth/Investigative
Let's get started.
Use the calendar below to schedule a free consultation. Or email me directly at matt@pearlimpactmedia.com.
I look forward to meeting you and sharing your story.