MU student ambassador at Times office this week


Gabriela Velasquez

A new face can be seen at the Times office this week, thanks to the Potter Digital Ambassadors Program through the University of Missouri Journalism School, and with that new face comes an upgrade to the Times’ online presence.

Gabriela Velasquez, a graduating senior at the Mizzou J-School in Columbia, is  in Gainesville this week helping the Ozark County Times staff make better use of its website, social media and other online platforms. 

The Times was one of 10 Missouri community newspapers to be chosen for the program, which aims to benefit both the newspaper and the students involved. 

Velasquez, from Memphis, Tennessee, currently works as a digital editor for the J School’s Vox magazine; previously, she spent time as a reporter at The Missourian, the J School’s city daily newspaper. She was excited about being assigned to the Times, she said, “because it has a very active following on social media. You can’t buy engagement and passion for a community, and Ozark County has that in spades. I have loved getting to know Gainesville, and think it’s amazing that the Ozark County Times is locally owned and employed. Local newspapers are so valuable to journalism, and Ozark County takes care of its paper.” 

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423