ADAM BAKST
Public Relations - Journalism - Humor
Adam Bakst is a full-time public relations executive, part-time comedy writer and all-around decent guy.
Born and raised in Florida, Adam Bakst has earned the nickname "Mr. Tampa Bay" because of his dedication to covering local news stories and supporting the local art scene, especially the blooming comedy community. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Adam began his career in Greenwood, Mississippi as a reporter for the Greenwood Commonwealth Newspaper before moving to Raleigh, NC, to work in the world of agriculture public relations at G&S Business Communications.
For the past seven years, Adam has been teaching, performing and producing improv comedy as well as writing sketch and online satirical and parody articles.
When he isn't working, Adam can be found listening to a true-crime podcast, practicing to be a gameshow host or petting someone else's dog (since his apartment is too small for his own).
Learn more about Adam below.
BACKGROUND
JOURNALISM
Adam Bakst is currently a reporter at the Greenwood Commonwealth in Greenwood, Mississippi.
Adam Bakst is also a 2020 Poynter-Koch Journalism Fellow.
His journalism work can be found at:
Adam Bakst graduated from the University of South Florida in 2020 with a BA in Mass Communications, concentration in Broadcast News
AUDIO
Adam Bakst has interned and/or volunteered at three radio stations and was named "2019's Best Local Up-And-Coming Radio Personality" by Tampa's Creative Loafing.
At WUSF, Tampa's NPR affiliate, Adam worked on daily news stories for digital publication and on-air announcement during All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
At WMNF, Adam co-hosted the Wednesday edition of Executive Session, an open forum for the community to discuss the issues coming in and out of the White House.
At BullsRadio/Media, Adam produced and hosted the show The Local Hour, an improvised talk show about Tampa's music and comedy scene.
HUMOR
Adam Bakst is a humorist with several satirical publications as well as 4 years of improvised comedy experience. Along with his own works and performances, Adam has had a successful run as a comedy editor helping people get their humor published all over as well as giving companies high-end comedic copy to help sell their products.
His written work can be found on several humor sites including:
Adam's Improv team, Improv @ USF, was named Runner-Up for "2019's Best Improv Team" by Tampa's Creative Loafing.
Adam served as president for the club during the 2019-2020 school year where the club participated in fundraising events for The Bahamas Hurricane Relief Fund and Hilarity for Charity as well as collaborated with many other improv teams including The Box Theater, Florida Studio Theater and Theater Strike Force at the University of Florida
MISCELLANEOUS
Adam Bakst was the 2019-2020 Co-President of the University of
South Florida’s Online News Association
Adam Bakst was also one of the two selected after a nation-wide search for Cynopsis Media's annual Homecoming Essay contest.
Adam Bakst served as Office/Events assistant and security guard at the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum (2017- 2020), and was the Co-Founder and Vice President for the USF Contemporary Art Museum Club which won the university's "Outstanding New Student Organization Award" in 2018.
Adam Bakst's video work can be found here.
Work Samples:
News Articles:
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For several months I covered electrical billing inequality in a poverty-stricken Mississippi town.
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All stories—including the national coverage the story received—can be found here: PDF
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'World Wasn't Prepared': COVID-19 at Six Months
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PDF
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Search For Soldier's Story :
Photojournalism:
Opinion Pieces:
EDUCATION
Adam Bakst graduated Cum Laude from the University of South Florida in 2020 with a BA in Mass Communications, concentration in Broadcast News.
He is currently a Poynter-Koch Institute Fellow.
Adam Bakst earned a 3.9 GPA within his degree courses and 3.64 GPA overall, taking courses such as:
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Broadcast News
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Public Affairs Reporting
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Electronic Field Production
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Political News Writing
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Mass Communications and Society
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TV News
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Media Law and Ethics
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Production and Direction
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Research Methods in Mass Communications
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Podcasting
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Food Communications
Certifications:
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Agency-Ready Certificate (PR Council)
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Fundamentals of Social Media (Muck Rack)
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Fundamentals of Media Relations (Muck Rack Academy)
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Turner Classic Movies Presents The Master of
Suspense: 50 Years of Hitchcock (Ball State University)
RESUME
REFERENCE QUOTES
“Adam is unlike many of my students; he attends any and all events, lectures, news happenings that we bring to students' attention. He is constantly working hard to better his craft. That means showing up. More than any student I have. He is a voracious learner and tireless worker.”
-Wayne Garcia, Master Instructor of Journalism at the University of South Florida
"He's very knowledgeable and helpful. I've especially learned a lot about formatting and clarity. He has a lot of experience with humor. All you new writers out there should drop him a line, we all need good feedback to be our best.”
-Luke Longerbee, Comedy Writer
“Mr. Bakst is passionate about telling stories that make a difference in people’s lives. He thrives on government stories and digs to find answers when sources aren’t forthcoming. He is the kind of student who makes coming to work worthwhile for a journalism professor. An old-school journalist with 21st century reporting and storytelling skills, he is the only traditional college student I know who prefers print newspapers to their digital sisters."
-Wendy Whitt, Undergraduate Director and Senior Instructor at the University of South Florida
“Adam has edited many of the comedy articles that I have written. He has a knack for seeing the full potential of a premise that you have and helps guide you on how to make your work the best it can be. "
-Marc Escudie, Comedy writer
