Laura Cantekin
Communications & Editorial Leader

Laura
Cantekin

I help people and institutions tell stories that connect across cultures, languages, and communities — with clarity, care, and global reach.

10+
Years building bridges across cultures & communities
1,000+
Reports produced for global audiences
200%
Expansion in nationwide reporting capacity
01 — Profile

At the intersection
of trust & story.

I'm a senior communications and editorial leader with more than a decade of experience producing global news content and managing distributed teams in high-stakes environments. I focus on global issues and help to build public trust through institutional storytelling.

At Feature Story News, I supported the desk journalism teams for Channel NewsAsia's website — growing monthly unique visitors, while also advising on human-in-the-loop review of AI-assisted content, editorial standards, and breaking news communications.

Earlier, I worked within philanthropy at the Surdna Foundation, supporting $4.1 million in grantmaking across education, economic justice, and community development — giving me a grounded understanding of how communications functions inside mission-driven institutions.

I hold an M.A. in International Educational Development from Columbia University, Teachers College, and a B.A. from Pitzer College in International and Intercultural Studies.

"I've spent my career translating complexity into clarity — for global audiences, institutional leaders, and the communities they serve."

  • Editorial Operations & Standards
  • AI-Assisted Content Review
  • Crisis & Issues Communications
  • Distributed Team Leadership
  • Media Relations & Spokesperson Prep
  • Audience Analytics & SEO Strategy
  • Cross-Cultural Storytelling
  • Philanthropy & Nonprofit Communications
02 — Career

Experience

Oct 2023 – Apr 2025
Digital News Manager
Feature Story News — New York, NY
  • Directed global digital content operations with quality control across platforms and international markets.
  • Troubleshot AI-generated content, identifying factual, tonal, and contextual issues prior to publication.
  • Contributed to a 20% increase in monthly unique visitors (10M → 12M) and launched a North American digital platform.
  • Guided rapid-response editorial decision-making during major global events in legally and politically sensitive environments.
Editorial Leadership AI Content Digital Growth
Feb 2020 – Oct 2023
TV News Producer & Interim Bureau Chief
Feature Story News — New York, NY
  • Oversaw newsroom operations, editorial workflows, and national coverage planning during high-volume news cycles.
  • Maintained 100% on-time delivery across broadcast and digital outputs.
  • Expanded nationwide reporting capacity by 200%, recruiting and onboarding reporters across the U.S.
Bureau Operations Broadcast Team Building
Oct 2015 – Jan 2020
TV News Associate Producer
Feature Story News — New York, NY
  • Supported live and long-form coverage for international and U.S. broadcast partners on global political, social, and human rights issues.
  • Secured production partnerships expanding U.S. distribution to 30+ million households.
Production International
Sep 2013 – Oct 2014
Program Associate
Surdna Foundation — New York, NY
  • Contributed to administration of $4.1M in grant funding across education, economic justice, and community development.
  • Supported communications between internal teams and nonprofit partners ensuring alignment with mission and compliance requirements.
Philanthropy Grantmaking
M.A. — International Educational Development
Columbia University, Teachers College · 2011
B.A. — International & Intercultural Studies; Religious Studies
Pitzer College · 2008
03 — Selected Work

Areas of Focus

A cross-section of the communications and editorial work I've led — from global health coverage to institutional storytelling and AI-assisted content systems.

01
Global Health & Policy
Pandemic Coverage & Public Trust
Reported from New York during the COVID-19 pandemic and covered global health funding debates at the United Nations, translating policy decisions into narratives communities could engage with.
Feature Story News · 2020–2023
02
Digital Growth Strategy
Channel NewsAsia Platform Launch
Secured and managed a multi-year digital content partnership, driving 20% audience growth to 12M monthly users, 1M+ app downloads, and a YouTube audience exceeding 3M subscribers.
Feature Story News · 2023–2025
03
AI & Editorial Systems
Human-in-the-Loop Content Review
Built review workflows for AI-generated content at scale — identifying factual, tonal, and contextual issues before publication and feeding corrections back into production pipelines.
Feature Story News · 2023–2025
04
Institutional Storytelling
Faculty & Expert Media Relations
Elevated Fordham University professors for international digital and broadcast audiences across topics from U.S. elections to New York City economics, conducting in-person interviews and briefing reporters for impact.
Feature Story News · 2015–2025
05
Cross-Cultural Communication
Community & Language Access Reporting
Covered stories where language access and trust directly affected outcomes — including emergency responders learning Cantonese for older Chinese residents and HIV/AIDS and mpox coverage requiring deep community context.
Feature Story News · 2015–2023
06
Media Training
Senior Leader Interview Preparation
Prepared senior leaders — including an AI director — for challenging media interviews, helping them anticipate hard questions, sharpen messaging, and bring clarity to nuanced subject matter.
Talkoot & others · 2022–2025
Channel of the Year
International Association of Broadcasters · 2020
Bronze Medal
UN Correspondents Association · 2018
English · Spanish · Italian
Language Proficiencies

Get in
touch.

Open to communications leadership roles, editorial consulting, and media training engagements. Based in New York.