About Mel

Hi, I’m Mel. I’m currently an editor and writer at National Geographic Magazine in Washington DC. I also occasionally help public media stations with their digital and social strategy.

I used to work as an associate producer at NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, where I was responsible for writing and producing all web content and social media for the show, in addition to writing/producing some daily on-air content.

Before Fresh Air, I worked as the director and associate producer at NPR’s Peabody award-winning humor show Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (where I wrote jokes) and was a 2006 Kroc Fellow at NPR (where I recorded and produced pieces for broadcast and web.) I have also written for NPR.org, National Geographic, Esquire Magazine, The Pennsylvania Gazette and The Daily Pennsylvanian. My work has been featured by the Nieman Journalism Lab, the New York Times, Poynter, Audiophiles, Current, the Shorty Awards, the Philadelphia Geek Awards, the Village Voice, Geekadelphia, and NPR Digital Services Knight Foundation Training.  I made my Fresh Air debut on my final day of employment in July of 2012.

In May of 2008, I was a passenger in a rollover car accident. The car flipped multiple times across a busy highway in Massachusetts, landing in the median. Based on the accident itself, I probably shouldn’t be walking around on Earth — particularly without brain or spine or neck or back or major internal injuries. The only reason I’m alive today is because a) I’m very lucky and b) I had my seatbelt on. I was told that I would have been a) ejected into oncoming traffic and b) dead had I not been wearing my seatbelt. Please wear yours. :)

And lastly — outside of work, I like being outside, writing humor stuff, reading, creating large-scale projects, Crossfit, running, hiking, pub trivia, biking, cooking and photography.

-Mel (melodykramer@gmail.com)