Jordan Hensley worked for the East Tennessean from 2015 to 2017. During her time with the publication, she served as a staff writer, social media editor and news editor.
Hensley graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in journalism.
She works for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort, Kentucky, as a public information specialist. Her role includes writing and distributing nonpartisan press releases on the legislative actions taken by the Kentucky House of Representatives during the legislative sessions. As of July 2022, Hensley began managing KLRC’s Twitter account.
During the interim period, she writes press releases on the issues and potential legislation discussed during interim joint committee meetings, statutory committees and special committees. Additionally, she assists in producing in-house publications such as newsletters and other agency press releases and communications.
“I was a reporter for a few years after I graduated college, which I loved. My heart will always be in journalism,” stated Hensley. “I had only lived in Frankfort about six months when I started looking for a new job in the spring of 2020. This job came open at the exact right time, and I have been working at KLRC since July 2020.”
Hensley states that she has been able to incorporate the skills she learned from the publication into the press releases she writes. With the addition of social media, she is able to share information about the legislative process, legislative calendar and more.
She has learned how inaccessible the legislative process feels to many Kentuckians. Hensley states that her goal with the Twitter account is to assist in breaking down these barriers and has found the experience really rewarding.
“The East Tennessean was the best place to learn,” stated Hensley. “The more you exercise these skills, the better you get. You can try your hand at writing for different beats, photography, page design, social media, video and editing.
“Working for the East Tennessean helped make me a more well-rounded job candidate, a better colleague and a better writer,” she added.
This series is part of celebrating the East Tennessean’s 100th anniversary. Interested in being featured? Email eteditor@etsu.edu.
