Jen Jackson

Background

About Jen Jackson

As Living Islands' first Media Director, I have produced and directed culturally-specific media content for Pacific Islander and Micronesian communities throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and abroad. I have used my journalism experience to connect people impacted by the pandemic, many who have in the past been barred from healthcare access, with engaging educational and cultural media made with the community - from vital COVID-19 safety and vaccine information to interviews recording Pacific Islanders' experiences and stories. Previously, I founded Red Torch Media in Portland, Oregon in 2018 to begin production on several independent projects including a documentary film,"Acceptable Fallout." Red Torch is a small, freelance digital media team dedicated to bringing journalistic principles and experience to grassroots digital storytelling with compassion and empowerment. Beginning in the spring of 2020, Red Torch created social media content connecting Pacific Islanders with COVID-19 safety, vaccine and personal assistance resources - including informational videos on COVID-19 testing and culturally-competent community messaging. Before moving back to my home state of Oregon, I was a newspaper reporter for the Watertown Daily Times in Northern New York. As the healthcare and nonprofits reporter, I covered all local and statewide healthcare, health policy, medical and philanthropic news across four counties in Northern New York, including in-depth enterprise and investigative features. I graduated from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications in 2016. During my time there, I wrote and photographed for multiple award-winning student magazines and worked out of both Cordova, Alaska and Cape Town, South Africa. My background is in writing and multimedia, and I am especially passionate about international, health and environmental issues.