hello!

I’m Sadie Chafe, a young and ambitious writer seeking exciting opportunities in the dynamic world of journalism. The goal of this portfolio is to showcase my work and the passion I have for storytelling. If you like what you see, please reach out— I’d love to connect. Enjoy!

about me

Originally from Charleston, SC, I graduated from Clemson University in May 2023 with a B.A. in English and Writing & Media Studies. From July-December 2023, I was the digital intern at Garden & Gun Magazine. During this time I gained 30+ bylines and honed invaluable digital media skills. I landed in Washington, D.C., in May 2024 to work as an editorial assistant for Sinclair Broadcast Group’s new food & travel initiative, “Amazing America.” I’ve been managing our editorial calendar, collaborating with news stations & third parties to obtain digital assets, pitching & executing stories, and even starring in baking, cocktail-making & taste test videos!

Securing an internship at one of my favorite magazines right out of college was a dream come true. During my time at Garden & Gun, I had the opportunity to write over thirty articles for the website. I also learned how to build articles in WordPress, and did this quite frequently. I fact-checked, conducted research, interviewed various individuals, and pitched ideas for digital stories. I oversaw the 2023 Good Dog Photo Contest, which received over 4,000 entries: I reviewed all entries and tagged potential winners, assisted with entry issues, and wrote articles about the winners. Additionally, I was able to attend weekly meetings with the entire editorial staff and get a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at how the magazine operates. The talented people I worked with at G&G taught me so much, and they were incredibly supportive and influential during this beginning stage of my career.

experience

Garden & Gun

Digital Editorial Intern

July-December 2023

The Tiger

Contributing Writer

March 2022 – March 2023

I was a bit late to the journalism game, taking my first class as a second-semester junior in college. However, my amazing professor saw my passion & potential and urged me to just go for it. In this class we wrote articles that, if they met a certain bar, would potentially be printed in The Tiger, Clemson’s student newspaper. My piece was featured on the front page of the paper; needless to say it was a major confidence boost. Next semester I took another journalism class with the same professor, where we were tasked with writing a feature-style article. I wrote a piece about bar bouncers in downtown Clemson, which was very entertaining to work on. It was published digitally on The Tiger’s website and steered me in the direction of feature writing as opposed to news-reporting.

my work

a bit of background

  • My first full story for Garden & Gun, this piece was a bit outside of my comfort zone, as it was research-heavy & biology-focused. However, I learned a lot and was reminded how crucial thorough fact-checking is.

  • This piece took a little over a month to complete, requiring multiple interviews with pastry chefs and baking research. I also personally went to one of the bakeshops to take photos for the article. So fun to work on!

  • Part of G&G’s “Southern Seven” series, this piece required finding seven unique and old-fashioned ice cream parlors across the South and doing a brief write-up for each. The piece did very well traffic-wise and was featured in an American Weekender roundup.

  • The goal of this piece was to find quirky, unique fall events around the South, so it required some deep web-diving. A struggle with this piece was obtaining photos, as many of these were fairly obscure events, but it all worked out!

  • A Boykin spaniel owner myself (along with G&G’s editor-in-chief), I couldn’t turn down a chance to write about the breed. I pitched this idea based on timeliness (Boykin Spaniel Day was coming up) and knowledge of our audience (they love Boykins), and the team went for it. I gathered some history and fun facts about the dogs, and of course, adorable photos, and the piece was a big hit.

  • My sister is in grad school at Auburn University, and she and my parents raved about their tasting menu experience at the culinary school’s fine-dining restaurant. Once I learned that Ford Fry, a southern chef and G&G favorite, was at the program’s helm, I knew it would be a golden digital story. The team agreed and suggested the angle be a Q&A with Fry himself, which turned out really well.

  • Perhaps my favorite piece among this collection, I was thrilled when my editor handed this assignment to me. There are few things I love more than cute, eclectic bakery-market hybrids. Interviewing the owners of Nashville’s Spread Market & Larder was absolutely lovely, and it felt so special to share their story and promote their small business.

  • Very similar in style to the Weird & Wonderful Fall Festivals piece, this article was fun to work on but also a bit challenging, as my editors really wanted weird holiday events, which are a bit tough to find. Luckily, I had developed a strong arsenal of PR reps who provided me with plenty of event options, so I ended up with a great list.