DZTV

DZTV is Denver Zoo's video brand, with a mix of produced videos by me, and shorter content generated by our keeper staff. The DZTV brand launched in 2018, and we've seen the Denver Zoo YouTube page double in subscribers since. My background as a multimedia journalist allows me to tell an engaging story, deliver it to the camera, and put it all together in the edit bay. DZTV was also a key part in keeping our audiences engaged and informed during the Zoo's COVID-related shutdown in 2020. I personally hosted more than 65 Virtual Safaris on Facebook Live, highlighting different animals around the Zoo. I fielded questions from commenters, filled time when there were no questions at all, and kept camera-shy keepers comfortable. These lives also doubled as fundraisers, bringing 6,000 new donors to the Zoo while we were closed.

Zoo Tales

Another owned platform we use at Denver Zoo is our blog, Zoo Tales. We've done away with the traditional "media" page on the Denver Zoo website, instead, inviting guests to read stories submitted by keepers, conservationists, and educators. We still use the Zoo Tales blog as a place for birth announcements, operational changes, and other typical press-release materials, but now they're written for all audiences, not just newsrooms. We often see entire segments of our blogs used in media stories. As public relations coordinator, it's my job to manage this blog. I write and edit posts, manage the different contributors. Many of our contributors are not writers by trade, and often need extra editing guidance, which I provide. The result is authentic content that resonates with a wider audience.


Earned Media Successes
​

Working at Zoo has its advantages when working with the press. Baby animals, new exhibits -- we aren't begging for coverage on those. But not everyone is a fan of modern zoos, and we have our share of detractors. So in addition to the cute and cuddly, we also work to get coverage of our conservation efforts, sustainability goals, and fundraising campaigns. All of these combined position the Zoo as a thought leader in the conservation space, and assist our development teams as they find new donors. 
  • 2020 successes
    • ​4,327 media mentions
    • 6.1 billion online reach
    • $9.2 million dollar publicity value
​