The Connecticut Mirror has hired a new community engagement reporter to cover Hartford and a manager of engagement who will grow CT Mirror’s audience across several platforms. Sandy Battulga, Hartford Community Engagement Reporter Hartford Community Engagement Reporter Sandy Battulga will b uild relationships with the city’s residents and institutions through community outreach, listening sessions and other events, a text line, and social media. She will crowdsource questions from residents on everything from city happenings to how to access public resources, then research answers and push that information out via text, social media and events. She will also write about what’s working in Hartford’s communities and will seek out information and story tips to bring back to the CT Mirror newsroom. Her work is part of the Raising Voices Lab, an initiative designed to take a more holistic approach to engaging with Connecticut residents and fulfill information needs in some of the state’s historically underserved communities. Battulga comes to CT Mirror from Colorado Public Radio, where she gained experience in everything from daily news reporting to long-form radio production as a Max Wycisk News Fellow. She has also held internships at the TV news station WCVB in Boston and the Spanish language fact-checking organization Factchequeado. She is a graduate of New York University, where she did a yearlong stint at its campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “We are thrilled to welcome Sandy to the CT Mirror,” said Keila Torres Ocasio, the CT Mirror’s enterprise editor, who leads the Raising Voices Lab. “Her experiences covering a broad range of issues in her home state of Colorado and building connections and engagement during her time reporting in Buenos Aires will inform her work in Hartford and help build on the connections we’ve already made in the city through our community engagement initiative.” Kat Struhar, Manager of Engagement As Manager of Engagement, Kat Struhar will be responsible for growing CT Mirror’s audience and deepening engagement with readers across the website, newsletters and social media platforms. Her role will involve producing newsletters, managing CT Mirror’s mobile app and social media presence, and conducting audience listening to better understand how CT Mirror can show up for Connecticut residents. Struhar is a former CT Mirror intern who has since interned at The Arizona Republic, American Journalism Project and The Washington Post. Originally from Maryland, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. “It is so thrilling to welcome Kat back to CT Mirror after her time at The Washington Post,” said Chief Growth Officer Clare Dignan. “As an intern, Kat was creative, innovative, and excited to engage with our audience. She’s bringing all that again, with a new focus on listening and responding to our readers and their interests.” ...read more read less