Matt Carlson is a communications professional with 30 years of combined journalism and PR counseling experience.
His public relations experience includes full-time major agency employment, contracted major agency employment and direct client service through his own consultancy, MC 3. Carlson worked full-time in the Chicago offices of four public relations agencies — Public Communications, Inc., DeFrancesco-Goodfriend, Harshe-Rotman & Druck (now Ruder Finn) and Burson-Marsteller. He has worked as a contractor for other leading PR firms including Edelman, Golin, Ketchum, Porter-Novelli and L.C. Williams & Associates.
Carlson’s PR work has ranged from focused tactical projects to strategic planning and program execution to support B2C and B2B marketing communication, brand journalism and awareness, organizational reputation management, issues management and thought/cause leadership initiatives. Carlson has served organizations in industries including digital technology/ communication, mechanical technology, financial and professional services, food, health care, sports, sporting goods, home products, travel, hospitality, professional associations, government and education.
Carlson’s journalism experience includes wire service, newspaper and magazine work. He remains a contracted reporter to the Associated Press in Chicago, having covered hundreds of professional and college sports games and breaking stories for the world’s largest news gathering organization. Carlson’s stories on teams including the Chicago Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks routinely reach thousands of readers and viewers around the world.
He also is a specialty reporter for some media outlets owned by TVA Group, Inc., and has helped create publications in a new digital content format for The Hockey News, one of TVA’s legacy print publications. Previously, he was a general assignment reporter in the Midwest for the Canadian Press. Carlson also worked on long contracts at the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, and on a freelance basis for newspapers and magazines across North America.
Carlson has taught college PR, journalism and communication courses for more than 20 years in Chicago. These include PR and branded content writing courses — making sure content mirrors professional standards — as well as introductory PR courses, media relations courses and capstone courses that focus on PR planning and campaigns. He also has served on college curriculum and chair search committees.
Two Interpublic Group PR firms, Golin and Weber Shandwick, and smaller agencies have turned to him to conduct group and individual employee training on writing, media relations and PR strategy and management.
Carlson holds a degree in journalism and German/linguistics cum laude from Marquette University.
Twitter: @MattCNews
MC3News.com