Jean Adelsman has worked at the Detroit Free Press, as a reporter, the Chicago Sun-Times as an editor (last position: assistant managing editor) and the Daily Breeze as managing editor. She taught editing at Northwestern Univeristy's Medill School of Journalism and newswriting, reporting and editing at the Univeristy of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communication.

Her bachelor's and master's degrees are from NU's Medill School.

Jean is a former board president of the California Society of Newspaper Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists' Los Angeles chapter.

While no longer an active journalist, she still occasionally contributes articles. Jean now spends her discretionary time on civic affairs. She serves as a Torrance Civil Service commissioner, as well as a board member for TOCA and the VC.