Meet POLITICO: Jackie Padilla

POLITICO is growing – since 2020, we’ve grown from 535 employees to nearly 800 employees. In this series, we profile POLITICOs who have joined the organization over the past year and ask them about their roles, their experiences, and why they chose POLITICO! This week, we caught up with Jackie Padilla, Senior Video Producer.

What is your name and title?
Jackie Padilla, Sr. Video Producer

How did you end up at POLITICO? What drew you to want to work here?
I had so many friends who either work or worked at POLITICO and had nothing but great things to say about the newsroom’s culture. I’ve worked in local and national news outlets that didn’t exactly thrive when it came to that, so the second I saw a video opening I jumped at it! Of course, I had been familiar with the brand before I applied and knew about its reputation in DC. As a video journalist who has worked at the White House and on the Hill, I was eager to be at a place that has a good reputation reporting on and working with people on both sides of the aisle.

Tell us about your role and team. What is your favorite part about your job?
People use the term ‘Dream Team’ so much it’s cliché—but for my team, it really isn’t an exaggeration. We’re a mighty team of 2. I lead our Snapchat show, ‘The POLITICO Show,’ and I have the great opportunity of overseeing Meiying Wu’s day-to-day work. Together, we publish FIVE episodes a week (soon it will be 7). We work hard to put the most relevant, creative, informative content out there. We do a combination of explainers with POLITICO reporters & highlight their expertise, crowdsourcing content, and original interviews with politicians. Personally, my favorite part is interviewing senators and congresspeople who are always thrilled to reach a younger demographic.

What has been your most memorable project or work moment so far?
It’s a tie. We had a major win last month interviewing TWO big political players—Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The story helped us exemplify how solid journalism with high-profile people can be packaged into a creative and informative piece for digital media. Second—we did a whole piece on Lizzo playing a flute that once belonged to President James Madison. It’s a top performer on our show but also raked in more than 444k views on Instagram!

How do you exemplify POLITICO’s values?
I’m a collaborator. I enjoy including as many voices as I can into our work and highlighting the expertise my colleagues bring to the table. I’d also say I’m a disruptor. I take pride in always asking questions (even the tough ones) and bringing new, sometimes even risky ideas to the table.

How have you taken advantage of POLITICO's hybrid work model?
I’m in the office about 3 times a week. And my puppy Jasper loves it.

What keeps you busy outside of work?
I’m a social butterfly, so you can usually find me at a networking event. But if work is completely off the table, you can count on me to find the nearest country concert.

Thank you, Jackie! You can find Jackie on Twitter and Instagram @jackienpadilla. Have a question or want to connect with the POLITICO Careers team? Email us at [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@politicocareers) and Instagram (@politicocareers) for updates on all things POLITICO!