Chris Amico
About Chris Amico
Chris Amico is a Senior Developer at Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK, specializing in digital storytelling. He has a background in interactive editing and application development, with previous roles at PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE PBS, and NPR.
Work at Gannett
Chris Amico has been employed at Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK as a Senior Developer in the Storytelling Studio since 2018. In this role, he has developed a storytelling framework that allows web producers and designers to create unique presentations for over 7,000 stories independently. This initiative enhances the efficiency of content creation and empowers teams to deliver engaging narratives without relying on developer support.
Previous Experience in Journalism
Before joining Gannett, Chris Amico held several positions in the journalism field. He worked as an Interactive Editor at PBS NewsHour from 2009 to 2011, and later at FRONTLINE PBS from 2015 to 2018. His experience includes creating standalone tools that facilitate audience engagement with complex information through data exploration. Additionally, he served as a Freelance Journalist for Bay Area News Group from 2008 to 2009.
Education and Expertise
Chris Amico earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied from 2000 to 2004. He also studied Chinese at Dalian University of Technology for 11 months in 2007. His educational background supports his expertise in interactive media and storytelling, particularly in the context of journalism.
Technical Contributions to Storytelling
Throughout his career, Chris Amico has made significant contributions to digital storytelling. He has designed open-source tools specifically for storytelling with maps, enhancing the accessibility and versatility of narrative methods in journalism. His work focuses on creating tools that enable readers to engage with investigative journalism data, thus improving the overall audience experience.
Early Career and Internships
Chris Amico began his career in journalism with various roles that included editing at City on a Hill Press from 2002 to 2004, where he worked across multiple desks. He also interned at The Signal for one month in 2003 and gained experience as an Application Developer for NPR's StateImpact from 2011 to 2012. These early experiences laid the foundation for his later work in interactive media and storytelling.