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PI engagement editor: Online when you need info

Sallee Ann Ruibal

Sallee Ann Ruibal
Chelsea Self / Post Independent |

Hi, Glenwood Springs. I’m your new engagement editor at the Post Independent. What does that mean? Well, my main task isn’t covering marriage proposals. Instead I monitor reader engagement with our content, specifically online. I post our stories on social media. I monitor the analytics to see what you, our readers, are interested in by what you are clicking on, searching for, coming back to, etc. I also create content exclusively for online, to keep our website fresh and updated throughout the day.

A week ago, I drove into Colorado for the first time. But I had seen your — I mean our — town before. Between when I accepted my job offer and when I first saw the Rockies in person, I often searched “Glenwood Springs, CO” on Twitter and Instagram. I was stunned by the awesome views both on my screen and in person — each I-70 turn here seemed to be even more spectacular than the last.

I also studied the Google Maps street view of Grand Avenue, which I now walk to and from for work every day. I took a screenshot even of the City Market with mountains looming behind it. “Look!” I’d tell my friends, shoving my phone in their faces. “The mountains are right there!”



I’m a new graduate from (The) Ohio State University. We don’t have mountains there. But we do have football (Go Bucks!). I was editor in chief of the OSU student paper, The Lantern. My team and I covered multiple breaking news events — most notably a November terror attack on campus.

Our coverage was used, and often praised, by national outlets. Our success was due to constant, timely social media coverage. We met our audience (college students) where they were: online. We gave them information when they wanted it: right now. Social media and online was our primary focus, and from that we generated a whole print edition to the attack.



The compliments we received from professional journalists were nice, but what mattered most to us was hearing from our community that when they were so scared, they knew they had The Lantern on their phones to keep them informed of what was going on.

I’m here to help keep you informed online. I am always online. People my age get a bad rap for that. But the ability to still talk to my college roommate about “The Bachelorette” when 1,300 miles separate us, to send my mother photos of my apartment decorating progress, to keep up with my favorite sportswriters back home as they tweet about the Cavs, to read national news immediately, to know at least a little bit about this beautiful town before ever setting foot in it — to me that’s wonderful.

I want to know everything about this town. I want to learn from you and I want to share what I learn with all of our readers.

Leading up to and when the Grand Avenue bridge closes, the PI and I will be there to supply you with all the vital information you need to live and drive comfortably. You will know about crime moments after we do. And there will also be the viral stories like the pizza boy turned pizza man, the stories from the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond that you can talk about around the water cooler.

Whatever information you need and want, is what I’m here to help provide you with. I plan to blog, make videos, maps, interactive elements and a ton of fun, helpful stuff.

But it’s only successful to me if you the readers engage with it. So let me know what you like and what you don’t, what’s helpful and what is clutter, what’s clever and what’s corny. I promise I won’t take any of it personally. Call me, tweet me, email me. The PI is yours and I’m so thrilled to be part of it.

Sallee Ann Ruibal can be reached at sruibal@postindependent.com or on Twitter at @salleeannruibal or by phone at 970-384-9103.


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