J’NA
JEFFERSON
A LIFE TOLD IN BYLINES, BROADCASTS, CONVERSATIONS, AND COMMENTARY,
My journalism journey has taken me from print and online publications to television, radio, live conversations, and cultural commentary. I’ve written about music and culture, reported from the field, produced and shaped stories for broadcast and digital platforms, and had the joy of sitting across from some of the people I grew up reading about. “J’nalism” is my practice of the craft, combining my skills as a reporter and storyteller with my personal brand as a cultural obsessive. Couple that with years of studying the greats and figuring out what I want to bring to the legacy, and you’ve got someone who has built a legacy of her own.
PEN GAME STRONG
J’na’s journalism is rooted in music, culture, and the questions that sit at their intersection. Her work has appeared in USA Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone, and more, exploring stories through the lenses of race, identity, politics, gender, and social change. Her reporting and expertise have taken her from interviews with figures including Oprah Winfrey, Tarana Burke, Sting, Nile Rodgers, and John Legend to being recognized during Columbia Journalism School’s Word: Life conference, which examined the people and publications that shaped five decades of hip-hop journalism.
Her work has also extended into teaching and cultural criticism. At the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in 2022, she developed and taught the school’s inaugural Music Reporting course, bringing together reporting practice, music history, and the realities of working in the field. In 2025, she contributed to The Rise of a Midwest Princess, a book about Chappell Roan, examining the artist’s connection to the drag community and pop music’s long relationship with queerness.
And yes, she’s written branded work, too, bringing her editorial instincts to campaigns and storytelling for brands including Adidas, AXE, Hulu, Sephora, and Xfinity.
At its core, J’na’s journalism is about knowing where to look, asking nuanced questions, and finding the story beneath the story.
SPECIAL SKILLS
AP Style, Copyediting, Proofreading, SEO, Google Suite, Copywriting, Content Writing (B2C), CMS (Wordpress, Mailchimp, Asana), Newsletter/E-mail Writing, Script Writing
BBC Culture, BET Digital, Billboard.com/ Billboard Magazine, BLEU Magazine (Nov. 2019, Oct. 2018 Cover Stories), Complex, Harper's Bazaar, Hearst Magazine/Hearst Home, Medium (GEN Mag and Zora), Miami New Times, MTV News, NPR Music, Okayplayer, Paper Magazine, Playboy, Recording Academy/Grammy.com, Revolt, Rolling Stone, Spin, Universal Music Group/uDiscover Music, UPROXX, USA Today, Vibe Magazine, XXL
CREDITS
BRANDED CONTENT
AXE, Adidas, Hulu, Red Bull,
Reebok, Sephora, Verizon, Xfinity
AS SEEN IN
Central Sauce, BBC Music, BBCNews.com,
The Real (Emmy-Winning Daytime Talk Show),
USA Today/The Tennessean
INTERVIEWS
ORAL HISTORIES/FEATURES
OP-EDS
BRANDED CONTENT AND MARKETING (B2C)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
J’na’s work extends well beyond the byline, with experience across radio, television, podcasting, live events, and digital production. A natural conversationalist with a deep knowledge of music and culture, she brings equal parts preparation, curiosity, and personality to the microphone.
As a moderator and host, J’na has led conversations with influential figures in music and culture for the GRAMMY Museum, Yahoo’s BUILD Series, and Samsung 837, and has appeared as a guest on BBC Radio, where she’s been dubbed a “Beyoncé Historian.” Her interviews are thoughtful and well-researched without losing the warmth and spontaneity that make a great conversation feel effortless.
Her audio work spans both sides of the mic. J’na has created, hosted, produced, and edited music-focused programming including Universal Music Group’s uDiscoverMusic Presents… and VIBE Vixen’s Boss Talk, an interview series featuring entertainment figures including Parris Goebel and Saweetie.
Behind the scenes, J’na has also produced live and streaming programming for CBS News, working across editorial, production, and technical teams to bring national broadcasts and digital programming to life. Her work has included curating the inaugural custom streaming episode of 60 Minutes.
Across every format, one thing has been clear: J’na knows how to ask the right question, find the interesting angle, and make people want to keep listening.
SPECIAL SKILLS
On-Air & Camera Correspondence, Hosting & Moderation, Interviewing, Live Broadcast Production, Audio Production & Editing, Video Production & Editing, Editorial Production, CTV / OTT Platforms
Technical Skills & Software: AP ENPS · AVID · Adobe Premiere · Final Cut Pro · iMovie · CapCut · GarageBand · Audacity
AUDIO
BBC Music, BBC Radio 4, BBC 5 Live, BBC World Service, Breaking Atoms, Name 3 Songs, Nevermind Media, NPR Weekend Edition, Recording Academy/Grammys, VIBE Vixen’s Boss Talk
VIDEO
Access Hollywood, GB News, National Geographic/Disney+,
REELZ Channel, Yahoo BUILD Series
PRODUCTION
CBS News Streaming, Red Bull Radio,
Universal Music Group
HOSTING/MODERATING
The Recording Academy (Ayra Starr, Ciara, Masego), Samsung US (Marsha Ambrosius), Yahoo BUILD Series (Esperanza Spalding, Rexx Life Raj), 2020 Recording Academy N.Y. Chapter pre-Grammy celebration Red Carpet, 2019 Billboard Women in Music Red Carpet, 2019 Grammy Awards Red Carpet, 2019 Assoc. Of Independent Music Publishers Indie Music Publishing Summit (“The Reality of Music in Unscripted Programming: The Business of Cardi B”), 2018 Roc Nation Brunch Red Carpet, 2016 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet