2021 Michigan Journalist of the Year Portfolio
Editing
There are moments when pictures speak louder than words.
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(Note: check the time.)
A screenshot of the Editors-in-Chief and I wrapping up Issue 1 of The Tower-- the beginning of an entire semester of virtual reporting, editing, and designing-- over one of our infamous "Zoom deadlines."
Written Content
Stemming from my lifelong dedication to honing my own command of diction, syntax, and tone as a creative writer, my role as an editor within the newsroom has always extended beyond AP style corrections.
My staff is already composed of strong journalists, equipped with the questions and skills necessary to "construct" an article. When I read through the week's copy, I'm in the interest of training my staff to become strong writers.
If anything, I edit like a reader.
Instead of searching for the elusive additional comma, I hunt down awkward adjectives, muddled phrasing, and weak transitions. By doing so, my staff has learned how to think critically about not just the placement of quotes, but the weight of their words. This process also safeguards the actual authenticity of my reporters' work; by not simply rewriting their articles, the opportunity for genuine growth is made accessible and, perhaps to their occasional annoyance, mandatory for the publication of the week's issue.
"Tower Mom"
At the same time, I know the heart-stopping second of terror when your article has 30+ comments and suggested edits (I'd be lying if I said I don't occasionally wince, even as the Associate Editor!).
My leadership style has never surfaced through aggressiveness, but rather through example. By commending my peers on their genuine hard work through quick notes of encouragement, I present myself as a source of support and collaborative inquiry. This behavior goes on to eliminate any unspoken systems of "hierarchy," often in the forms of friend groups or favoritism, that can unfortunately emerge and disrupt the synergetic environment of the staff.
It's not my job to "catch" staffers.
It's my job to catch moments where learning is possible, and guide my staffers to success through their own autonomous actions.
Fervent Fact-Checker
That said, no staffer is a stranger to my own brand of "tough love."
My empathetic and sensitive leadership is very often a double-edged sword in the face of misinformation or blatant falsehoods.
With The Tower serving as a primary source of local news to a vastly homogenous population-- a homogeneity I personally draw privilege from-- I recognize the responsibility I have as an editor to ensure that the unintentional biases of my staff do not impact the quality of their journalistic writing. To the left, a staffer allowed for a quote from a student to make a blanket statement about Detroit, a city both the source and the student do not live in. Though the comment was not necessarily malicious, allowing for the publication of such a line would be, primarily through its erasure of Grosse Pointe's own relationship to the topic and the furthering of prejudiced views about Detroit itself. Acknowledging this, I responded accordingly, and provided a series of suggestions from which the student could use to move forward.
Markup Master
And yet, the comments I have included are only a snapshot into the time I dedicate as an editor of The Tower's written content. Returning to the photo at the top of the page, though humorous, I as the Associate Editor am the first member of leadership to review the week's copy, and the last to scan the final PDFs before sending the issue to print (albeit with occasionally tired eyes).
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I also have a routine when issues are hot off the press:
1. Admire for five minutes.
2. Immediately begin marking up pages.
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I take immense pride in the fact that I have marked-up nearly every print issue of The Tower during my time on staff. Through creating and later displaying my meticulous markups throughout the classroom, staffers are once again being honored and taught through example; not only does my staff realize that I do, in fact, read each and every one of their pieces, but that we as editors are human-- every issue is a cause for both celebration and reflection.
Visual Content
Synthesizing my time as both The Tower's graphics manager and The Looking Glass' Supervising Page Designer, I am afforded the unique position where I am capable of not just reviewing copy, but assessing the quality and strength of each issue's page design.
Before The Tower's Supervising Page Designers comment on first or second drafts, I am often collaborating with page designers on sketches-- the very start of the design process.
To the left, one is able to see how a rough sketch I assisted a page designer in creating appeared in the final issue. While I am much more drawn to the freedom of magazine design than the columns of newspaper design, I make a sincere effort each issue to highlight the strengths of the designer themselves as we talk through the sketch process. This specific designer is incredibly skilled at proximity and alignment alike, and we worked to ensure both elements were dominant in the starting sketch-- and, thus, in the final, successful design.
Similar notebook sketches and one-on-one conversations also underscored the following pages. That said, my involvement is not just limited to the sketching phase, as is made evident by my graphics' frequent appearances. Every deadline, I can often be found checking-in with page designers not just on the status of their pages, but if they are addressing the key questions of design, such as:
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"Do you have a dominant image?"
"Have you considered pulling colors from the graphic to place in the headline, to create a more cohesive look?"
"How many entry points are on your page? How can you create more?"
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I could also clearly picture someone asking me a question of their own: why edit visual content when you already spend so much time reviewing copy?
The long answer would be that, from my time as a graphics manager, I always felt the most appreciated and seen on staff when the pages my content was displayed on were treated and designed with care. Seeing the principles of design in action encouraged me to create even better illustrations, just as a strong copyeditor encourages reporters to write even stronger stories. In combing through our visuals just as ardently as our written work, my staff is able to see how journalism is not just about quotes and leads-- presentation, graphics, and art as a whole is just as critical in the creation of a successful publication.
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However, the short answer would be: who wouldn't want to judge cool infographics and illustrations after going line-by-line through countless articles?
