I've dedicated much of my professional and personal life to bringing important stories to light and bridging the gap between people of different backgrounds.
My professional experience is wide, but focused on journalism, publishing and communication. Right now I'm shooting, writing, editing, designing, producing and running Kring Lerner Group, a media agency known for innovation specializing in photography, journalism and strategic media.
Before founding Kring Lerner Group with my husband Joel Lerner (with me in the picture), I served as Assistant Director of Media Relations for Illinois Institute of Technology I helped journalists find and create interesting stories relating to IIT and identify experts on campus to be interviewed on topic ranging from campus safety to nuclear power.
While at Community Media Workshop I managed its website, wrote and edited newsletters, oversaw production of its media guide and then some. Its mission is to help connect the community with the media in order to get important, unreported stories told.
I've bought, sold, assigned, edited or produced photos for the Panoramic Images, General Learning Communications, Associated Press, Rockford Register Star, Sun-Times News Group, Chicago Tribune and other news outlets.
In 1993 I co-founded PICTURE THIS Projects with other women photographers. It remains a non-profit, philanthropic organization of photographers, journalists and other community members supporting and creating photo projects that encourages creative expression, self-esteem and community building.
Lessons learned through PTP influence the All Skokie Photo Project, a community photo project aiming to make a picture of all Skokians from May 2010-May 2011 in order to encourage creative expression, help bridge the gap between people of different backgrounds and promote pride in Skokie while enhancing the photography collection of the Skokie Historical Society.
- Karen Kring
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