Editing, Leadership and Team Building
As an Online Editor-in-Chief of the Statesman, much of my role includes editing stories daily, maintaining website efficacy, leading staff members and creating a welcoming environment that fosters excellence throughout the publication. My role goes beyond just ensuring minimal errors and setting deadlines, it allows me to push the Statesman forward and reach outcomes we previously doubted.
Within six months of being under my leadership, the Statesman website has already received four Distinguished Site Badges (Site Excellence, Story Page Excellence, Excellence in Writing and Audience Engagement) from the School Newspapers Online (SNO) organization. We also received a Crown Award from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association, which evaluated both our paper and web publication components. Through it all, my goal remains to push the Statesman to new heights.
When it comes to my leadership and team building among staff, I embrace fun as much as I do hard work. This year, I devised teams of staff members to compete in the Statesman Olympics, a semester-long series of trivia and various cooperative games held once a week. This fostered a friendly sense of competition and put groups of people together that might not often interact. Through this, the whole staff is more connected and comfortable, promoting increased engagement in story writing and the publication as a whole. I simply love having fun with the staff. I lead by example by both partaking in this fun and devoting myself to editing and writing quality stories in and outside of class.
KELOLAND
In October of 2023, the Statesman was featured on KELOLAND, a South Dakota CBS affiliate. Our publication won Superior Newspaper at the annual South Dakota High School Press Convention, spurring the story. As an Online Editor-in-Chief, this story outlined the roles I have fulfilled as an Editor along with my love for and leadership of the staff. The video is linked below.
Examples of Digital Editing Suggestions
I always try to make concise and focused stories. As a result, my comments on staff stories often regard cutting out unnecessary words to keep the article smooth and on-topic. When I suggest changes like this, I provide short explanations so staff members can follow my line of reasoning.
Details are key throughout the journalistic process. I constantly add relevant details to staff stories, like precise dates, to guarantee stories are fully developed and specific. I will also make simple corrections like date formatting to certify that all stories follow AP Style guidelines.
Of course, a crucial part of my job as Online Editor-in-Chief is making the Statesman an enjoyable experience for all staff members. I frequently leave empowering comments to keep writers driven and confident in their skills.