You make sure you grab one of these papers before darting to class. You skim the articles, laugh at the kvetches and sneakily finish the crossword when your professor isn’t looking. The Daily Tar Heel is most students’ prime source for knowing what’s happening on and around campus. Seven days a week, this student-run newspaper works hard to crank out five weekly issues–many readers not realizing the dedication and effort put in by the DTH staff.
This week’s Campus Celebrity, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Tar Heel, Steven Norton, is a comparative literature major with a minor in business journalism and Spanish. On a whim, he decided to join the DTH’s copy desk his first semester freshman year. He hasn’t looked back since then.
 HC: Was it your dream to become editor of the Daily Tar Heel?
Steven: I don’t really sleep much, so…
HC: What’s been your biggest challenge as editor?
Steven: Answering these questions was pretty tough. I don’t really like to talk about myself. The editor selection process was tough, because I had to constantly tell people why I was great. Not that I don’t think I’m awesome, but I would rather have my work speak for itself.
HC: What do you love about being a part of the DTH?
Steven: I have the pleasure of working with some of the smartest and hardest-working people on this campus. I’m amazed every day at the grace with which my editors, who are far too overworked and underpaid, handle conflicts they likely never anticipated facing as college students. And I’m forever grateful to the teaching mission at the DTH. I think we’re a special group because we’re all fairly new at the whole journalism thing, yet we’re expected to be both journalists and teachers. New reporters often learn what they know from someone who’s only been reporting for a year or two. But through both our successes and failures, the staff’s eagerness to teach and learn every day is unbeatable.
HC: Have you held any other exciting journalism positions aside from Editor-in-Chief? (Internships, etc.)
Steven: This summer I covered business news for the Charlotte Observer. While there, I got an email from the folks at Twitter asking me to be one of eight curators across the country for the Twitter Town Hall with President Obama. I basically sat on TweetDeck all day monitoring questions sent via the #askObama hashtag and picking questions for Obama to answer. Two of the questions I picked made it to the president (he answered somewhere between 10 and 15 questions), and I definitely upped my Twitter game. The summer before that I was a producer on a documentary team of UNC students in Tanzania. The program was developed through a nonprofit in Austin, Texas called Students of the World. They typically have a UNC team each year, so check it out.
HC: Where would you be without your staff at the DTH?
Steven: In an empty office with a lot of computers, and a lot less knowledgeable about the world around me.
HC: What have you learned since you started working at the paper?
Steven: I’ve learned good journalism is more than good writing. I’ve learned that just about any conflict can be resolved with a little patience. I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve learned that persistence goes a long way. I’ve learned no one is perfect (myself included). I’ve learned to love both good- and bad-tasting coffee. I’ve learned that being mean is sometimes necessary, but you must always be fair. I’ve learned you can’t make everyone happy all the time, and that’s okay. I’ve learned some great dance moves (Thanks, Tarini and Skylar). I’ve learned that editing is much more than moving words around. I’ve learned how government works. I’ve learned that confidence is relative. I’ve learned it’s okay to be satisfied with imperfection. I’ve learned how to think critically. I’ve learned never to underestimate anyone. I’ve learned that in-person conversations always beat an email. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’m sure there’s more, but you’re probably bored by now.Â
HC: What are your post graduation jobs? (Do you see yourself as future Editor-in-Chief for the New York Times?)
Steven: Find a job.
HC: What is your life motto?
Steven: Learn to love the questions. We spend so much time trying to figure out who we are and why we’re here that we fail to see how much we grow from embracing uncertainty.