Stephanie’s Spectacular Social
If you keep up with us on social media, you know we keep our feed up to date with as many stories as we
can. This week, we want to introduce you to our social media coordinator, Stephanie Gerson, who runs it
all behind the scenes. And she does more than just keeping our followers informed — she writes for us too!
How long have you been with the Independent? What does your job entail?
I’ve been working for the Independent since May, managing all social media accounts including Instagram,
Facebook, and X, and sharing special content on our TikTok and YouTube! As Social Media Coordinator, I
strategize creative ways to help our readers and followers engage with our written content, whether that be
creating a video to support one of our articles or launching a series on our Instagram Stories to promote one
of our many special issues. From time to time, I help support the greater Web team efforts by posting
articles to our website.
Besides keeping our social media flowing, you’re also a writer! What have been your favorite stories you’ve done so far?
I loved writing about the opening of Pang Zi Noodle Shop in Goleta; my article brought lots of new customers to the restaurant, causing them to sell out for consecutive weeks! I’m also incredibly proud of a story I photographed and wrote about vintage stores that opened in Santa Barbara this past summer. In March, I launched my Substack newsletter and have since been writing about fashion and beauty in my spare time. I recently wrote a story about the death of the department store makeup counter for Byline Magazine which might be my favorite thing I’ve ever written.
What are your favorite aspects of journalism across its various forms? Do you favor a certain medium over others when it comes to reporting?
I’m a fan of multimedia stories that lean heavily on strong photos and video. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside our staff photographer Ingrid Bostrom at events for the Indy — she will shoot photos while I shoot video —
to truly enrich the story one of our writers hopes to tell. Photos can really make or break a story!
Do you have a favorite niche to write in? Do you prefer to focus on local stories or cover topics on a broader scale?
I got my start in journalism writing about food for UC Santa Barbara’s Daily Nexus, so I’ll always have a soft spot for that genre of reporting. Nothing is more interesting to me than the stories of other people, and I’ll never pass on an opportunity to interview a local business owner, restaurateur, or artist. Those are the types of stories that I believe can be very beneficial to a local community and help put deserving businesses on the map.
What brought you to Santa Barbara originally? Though you’re back in the Bay Area now, what’s something you miss about S.B.?
I moved to Santa Barbara in 2020 to attend UCSB and study Art History and History! My sister attended UCSB during the previous four years, and I fell in love with the school after many visits to Isla Vista for Parents and Family Weekend. While the Bay Area has been home for my whole life, I do miss living so close to the ocean. Nothing beats a morning walk with the sand between my toes and a Cajé drink in hand.
Is there a story you’re working on now that you’re excited about? Is there a topic you’d like to cover sometime in the future that you haven’t been able to yet?
I have this awful habit of starting multiple story drafts and then forgetting about them. So
technically, I’m always working on a story. I do have a few woman-owned, Santa Barbara–based
businesses in mind whose owners I’d love to chat with: Mother Dough Bagels, Jake and Jones, and La
Segunda Estudio to just to name a few!
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