Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories.
She grew up in Mobile, Alabama, which she insists is home to the country's first Mardi Gras (not New Orleans) and now lives in Birmingham with her husband and rescue pup Rocky, whose name is unrelated to The University of Tennessee (Roll Tide).
Experience
Mary Shannon Hodes is an Digital Editor at Southern Living, where she started as an Editorial Fellow in 2017. In her current role, Mary Shannon works primarily on the brand's social media platforms, directly connecting with the Southern Living audience and showcasing the best of Southern life on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok. Before becoming a social media editor, Mary Shannon was an Editorial Assistant and Assistant Editor on the Southern Living Team. During that time, she gained experience on both the print and digital sides of the magazine in a variety of topics like food, travel, beauty, and Southern culture. She also assisted on location for photo shoots, styling and working with retail brands and makers to call in products.
Before Southern Living, Mary Shannon worked at The Tuscaloosa News on the copy desk and completed editorial internships with Good Housekeeping and Mobile Bay Magazine.
Education
Mary Shannon graduated from the University of Alabama Honors College, where she majored in journalism and minored in creative writing, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Information Sciences in 2017.
About Southern Living
Southern Living, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, celebrates the food, homes, places, and culture of the South. We reach 7.2 million readers a month. Our content is written by experienced journalists and fact checked for accuracy. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.