My Favorite Published Writing
Welcome! I'm Carla McCanna, a passionate culture journalist fervent for storytelling and media. This drive has taken me from various internships and professional writing roles to continuing my education through a Master of Science in Journalism degree at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, which I proudly completed in August 2024.
Creative and self-motivated, I have published content for traditional news outlets, magazines, blogs and social media. The invaluable experiences I have gained have ignited my interest in digital media and feature writing, as well as music and culture topics specifically.
➱ Scroll down to view my published work and unpublished samples, or click the envelope icon (✉) below to get in touch through a quick messaging form.
My Favorite Published Writing
Carl Lamarre's unapologetic rise in music journalism and how he made his way to Billboard magazine’s hip-hop helm. (A profile story)
Food/entertainment story pitched and written by Carla McCanna. "Vegandale, one of the largest North American vegan food festivals, is touching down in Dallas on Nov. 12 at Addison Circle Park from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m..."
'Roots' feature story published online and in October print magazine by Carla McCanna. "After earning a computer science degree at The American University in Cairo, Dalia Powers moved to Dallas to work on a project with Texas Instruments..."
Story for D CEO Magazine by Carla McCanna. "Every year, about 200,000 veterans leave the armed forces-a process that the U.S Department of Labor calls "the military to civilian transition." According to the Pew Research Center..."
Feature story for D CEO by Carla McCanna. "Raymond Nasher was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1921. He grew up an only child to European parents who emigrated to Boston in his early years..."
Feature story pitched and written by Carla McCanna for The Dallas Morning News' FWD>DFW. "For SMU students Reagan McGinnis, Sam Westfall and RaSun Kazadi, giving back and encouraging community involvement from their peers is a pressing, fundamental need..."
Business brief for D CEO Magazine by Carla McCanna. "Salesmanship Club of Dallas' 54-year-old AT&T Byron Nelson PGA tournament raised $7.6 million this year for the Momentous Institute-a new fundraising record..."
Arts/Culture story for Addison Magazine by Carla McCanna. "Continuing their integration of arts into the lives of local youth, the Outcry Youth Theatre presents ‘Charlotte’s Web’ at Addison Theatre Centre this spring..."
All Published Writing
A candid chat with U.K. singer-songwriter MaZz discussing recording her top hits on her iPhone’s voice recording app and the friends who helped her find her sound and confidence in the music industry. (Written after traveling to London during Northwestern study abroad program.)
Food/entertainment news story by Carla McCanna. "The free Sunny South Dallas Food Park event will feature a variety of Black-owned food vendors..."
Roundup story by Carla McCanna. "This month, Dallas restaurants and bakeries are serving up many seasonal, spooky treats. And nine local eateries and bake shops offer some of the most eerily..."
Food/entertainment feature story by Carla McCanna. "Dallas-based LifePlate, a plant-based meal delivery company, officially launched in Dallas-Fort Worth in late August 2022. Developed by co-founders Deana and..."
Healthcare news article for D CEO by Carla McCanna. "U.S. News & World Report has released the 2022-2023 Best Children's Hospitals national ranking and recognized several North Texas hospitals..."
"Advocates for voting rights and student civic engagement are criticizing a Texas lawmaker's plan to ban polling places from college campuses, noting that the bill highlights a pattern of young voter disenfranchisement in Texas..."
Weekly Real Estate Briefs for D Magazine written and edited by Carla McCanna
Plus: Jackson-Shaw adding to its Chisolm Business Park; Newmark sells Element Towers on LBJ; and more.
Culture/impact news article for Dallas Morning News/DMN Charities by Carla McCanna. "With 300,000 kids going hungry throughout North Texas, The Dallas Morning News Charities Kids' Summer Feeding Campaign raises funds for organizations like..."
Article written for FWD>DFW (Dallas Morning News' cause-marketing initiative) by Carla McCanna. "From in-person to remote and physically distanced volunteer ops, there are plenty of ways to give back to those in need in your community..."
Article for SMU’s student newspaper written by Carla McCanna. “Dallas is nearly 6,000 miles away from Ukraine, but SMU Mustangs still have plenty of opportunities to show their support for Ukraine…”
By: Carla McCanna "A yearly visit to the doctor may seem excessive. Most people fight shy away from visiting a doctor’s office unless burdened with current, active health issues..."
By: Carla McCanna "Taking the first steps to start a new business can be a daunting road. Despite this, many new entrepreneurs fail to seek assistance and choose to walk the path alone..."
By: Carla McCanna "If you have ever gotten to the end of the workday and realized the work was not as fruitful as you intended, perhaps it is time to change a few things..."
By: Carla McCanna "This time of the year is especially stress-inducing with busy workdays and school schedules..."
By: Carla McCanna "North Texas, prepare to heat up this April! Good vibes are coming in hot with the Annual Dallas Reggae Festival set to take place Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10 at Addison Circle Park..."
By: Carla McCanna "If you depend on a caffeine kick to get your day started out on the right track, the North Dallas Corridor has a plethora of popular hotspots for fresh and tasty coffee..."
By: Carla McCanna "With the last few years of incessant case spikes plaguing the news reports and A-Z variants headlining CDC reports, most of us have a new appreciation for our health..."
By: Carla McCanna "If you're putting in long hours in the office or have other day-to-day tasks that consume most of your day, exercising may be last on your to-do list..."
By: Carla McCanna "Spring has officially sprung, and North Texas is heating up quickly. The unlimited sunshine entices most to venture outside and enjoy the warm weather. Yet, a lot of people are held back..."
By: Carla McCanna "The hot spells are approaching quickly as Texas weather turns a corner this spring. Abundant sunshine and high temperatures have already graced the North Dallas area, which means..."
By: Carla McCanna "Educators are truly the backbone of society and progress. Teachers play a critical role in the lives of youth everywhere, offering their daily dedication to the advancement of education, offering guidance to children, and raising the leaders of tomorrow..."
Unpublished Writing Samples
Assignment details: Attend a local art/culture event in Dallas and write a 'first look' about the experience.
Assignment details: Cover a local event.
Assignment details: Write a feature story on a local artist.
Blogs
A graduate journalism student at Northwestern University, music buff and culture writer
List of all blogs and articles written for The Hunt Institute Digest, while working as a journalist and blog manager for the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University's Lyle School of Engineering.
Blog post written by Carla McCanna for a photography project highlighting equestrians of color.
A blog for retail company, CorroShop, written by Carla McCanna. As a part of a social media ambassadorship, this blog (highlighting personal stories) was written to provide the company with content.
Multimedia