PA: SEPTA Hires Public Information Manager

SEPTA announces the addition of Manuel “Manny” McDonnell Smith as a public information manager in the media relations department of the public and government affairs division.

Employed by News Corp. - the former media group that incorporated the Fox News Channel and NewsCore - for nearly 13 years, Smith is a media industry leader with a reputation for combining integrity and innovation to produce high-quality journalistic content. Early in his career, he was an assignment editor on the Fox News national desk in New York, a senior assignment editor at Philadelphia’s FOX29 and a prime-time news assignment editor for Local News Service (LNS) where he covered news and sports for FOX29 and the local NBC affiliate. Smith later returned to New York for several years to work for NewsCore as a senior video journalist. He was responsible for the launch and output of a global video news service for 20 plus multiplatform properties. His daily reporting duties included working on team producedm projects, as well as serving as a “one-man band” producing, writing, shooting, and editing video news content while using Google and Twitter to integrate new digital products and protocols into the traditional news workflow.

Prior to joining SEPTA, Smith also worked for CNBC as a member of their digital news production team delivering on-air and on-line content in real-time for the network’s global platforms. Most recently, he was the web managing editor for Diversity Inc. Media where he wrote, produced, and coordinated content for two websites focusing on corporate diversity and inclusion.

Smith is a life-long advocate of public transportation. A native of Philadelphia, he used SEPTA to travel to school and while at FOX29, he rode the trolley and bus to work. Until three years ago, he didn’t even own a car.

Smith graduated from University City High School and completed postsecondary courses at Fordham University. He resides in the Mt. Airy with his family.