Hello, East Tennessean readers!
As this semester comes to a close, Jessica Dunker is passing on her position as executive editor to me for the 2018-19 school year. To say I am humbled to be entrusted with East Tennessee State University’s newspaper would be an understatement.
I have just graduated from ETSU with a degree in Media and Communication, concentrating in both journalism and advertising. My executive editor position will also serve as my graduate assistantship while I am studying in the Brand and Media Strategy M.A. program.
For the past year I have written for the East Tennessean as a news reporter. It has been a wonderful experience working on the paper because it has allowed me to have experiences I would not have chosen on my own. That’s the beauty of journalism—it allows you to experience the world of others no matter if you are the reporter or the reader.
I think being a well-informed person is important no matter who you are, so I am passionate about attention to detail and accuracy in my writing. As executive editor, my primary goal is to be ETSU’s best source for news.
Because of my background and love of journalism and advertising, I hope I can lead the East Tennessean while working on some new marketing plans for the paper to amp up accessibility and interest.
I understand our standards for news sources are changing, and one of my biggest goals as executive editor is to make campus news as accessible as it can be to our campus community. I have a lot of ideas to keep me occupied in the upcoming year, and I would also encourage anyone to reach out to me with suggestions for how to better reach our readers.
This fall we will have many returning editors, designers and writers as well as some new staff members joining the team. I think we are going to have a talented group who are dedicated to the paper, and I’m looking forward to see how we maneuver through all the changes occurring on campus with the Culp Center renovation.
Finally, I would like to thank Jessica for helping me begin to understand my new role and its responsibilities, and I am thankful she will continue to work at the East Tennessean as the editorial editor next year. I think she has done a terrific job as executive editor, and I understand I have big shoes to fill.
Now let’s enjoy a well-deserved summer break.
