Michele Raphael

Biography

Michele Raphael, MA, Lecturer, is a recognized communications leader, with expertise in leveraging public relations, marketing communications, and broadcast, digital and print media to elevate how nonprofits, brands, leaders, publishers, tech companies, and educational institutions grow community, accelerate funding, create impact, and gain recognition. Her work also focuses on championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for women and marginalized communities.

Professor Raphael's extensive career has encompassed key roles at major media outlets, including Southern California News Group, AAA Publications (Westways), Billboard, Hearst, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, and Variety. She has served as an executive director, communications director, editorial director, managing editor, arts and culture, editor, books editor, entertainment editor, features editor, food and travel editor, digital engagement editor, social media producer, and events manager.

She currently is the Senior Digital Engagement Editor for Southern California News Group, in which she develops growth strategy for audience engagement, content, and traffic of off-site platforms, including 70 newsletters, social, and push alerts, for 11 local newspapers and manages the social media team. Previously, as Executive Director and Founder of Maximizing Media, she served clients including the City of Beverly Hills, Carolyn Clark Powers (President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art) and Danielle Allen, former candidate for Governor of Massachusetts. As a volunteer, she provides public relations services as a Visionary Circle member of Visionary Women and a Media Relations Strategist for WriteGirlLA. A member of literary nonprofit PEN America, she also co-founded an online literary journal and live and online literary events series in Los Angeles and New York.

Professor Raphael holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in journalism, specializing in online journalism, from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in French, with minors in Economics and English, from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. She also is a former National Press Foundation Fellow.

To learn more about Professor Raphael, visit her website: michelebraphael.com.

Education (2)

USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: M.A., Journalism 1999

Pitzer College: B.A., French 1992

Areas of Expertise (1)

arts and culture, entertainment, journalism, public relations, marketing communications, digital media

Industry Expertise (3)

Writing and Editing

Publishing

Media - Online

Accomplishments (1)

National Press Foundation Fellow (professional)

2014-06-01

The National Press Foundation is a nonprofit journalism training organization. It educates journalists on complex issues and trains them in reporting tools and techniques. It recognizes and encourages excellence in journalism through its awards.

Affiliations (6)

• ACLU
• Journalism & Women Symposium
• PEN America
• Planned Parenthood
• Visionary Women
• WriteGirlLA

Links (1)

• Raphael's Website

Languages (1)

• French