Before this year, a single editor-in-chief has been the standard at The Cardinal Times. However, this year, three editors-in-chief led the staff.
Although there was initial concern over what having three editors-in-chief would entail, the decision paid off for seniors Meghan Whitten, Scarlett Dempsey and Amanda Schubert. The three editors-in-chief have traveled to San Francisco, Seattle and New York to attend National Journalism Conventions. They have covered diverse topics, won awards and had lots of fun together.
“When we decided on three editors-in-chief, I was like, this is going to be very different than how I imagined it, but I think it has been the best decision that we have made,” said Whitten.
Being an editor-in-chief means leading The Cardinal Times by keeping others accountable, editing writing and design, deciding which stories go in the paper and solving any problems that arise.
Splitting the role between three people allowed for more discussion around larger decisions, as well as more leadership perspectives on the paper.
“We all bring different skills to the table,” said Whitten. “I’ve learned to be a lot easier on design, because I had never done design, [but] Amanda and Scarlett both brought in [their design experience].”
Sharing the work of editor-in-chief split has allowed the three of them to pursue their own activities without the workload getting too overwhelming.
“We all do a lot outside of [The Cardinal Times]. We’re all full IB [diploma]…. We all do sports…. We all have jobs, [so it] feels nice to know that there are people there to support you,” said Dempsey.
Collaborating also brought more innovation and changes to the paper.
“Because we had three editors-in-chief, we were able to be more creative and try out new things,” said Schubert. “In the past years, [when] there was just one editor-in-chief… we had less time and ability to try new things with design and do all this. [This year] I think our design has improved a lot.”
This collaboration was strengthened by the close friendship among the three, as they met in Intro to Mass Communications their freshman year. They all joined the paper as sophomores, and became closer while learning more about journalism.
“I’ve known Amanda, Scarlett and Meghan since they were freshmen,” said Mary Rechner, The Cardinal Times adviser, “because they were all in Mass Communications together. They’ve all been really serious about professional development. When they can, they go to things like [University of Oregon’s] Fall Media Day, they go on our national trips and they seek out other student publications for inspiration.”
Together, the three have led The Cardinal Times through stressful times, such as final rounds of copy editing the same day the paper is due. They have also led fun times, like singing during birthday celebrations.
“[The Cardinal Times has] given me many opportunities and lifelong connections. I am so grateful for this community,” said Schubert.
If you are interested in joining the journalism community, email [email protected], or stop by room 621 on an A-day.
