Ever wonder who’s in charge of The Daily Campus, the independent voice of SMU? Usually people think it is a faculty member or adult, but in fact, students run the entire news organization which includes a newspaper, website and a daily television show. Ashley Withers, the editor in chief of The Daily Campus, talked to SMU—Her Campus about her job and what it takes to run a news organization.
Q. What does the job of being editor in chief of The Daily Campus entail?
A.It is all about being the voice of the SMU campus and about making that voice be as representative of the student body as possible. I lead a team of some incredible editors to produce the best campus news we can.
Q. How did you end up in this position?
A.I applied at the end of last semester and was selected by the Student Media Company Board. I previously worked for The Daily Campus as a staff writer and as the Associate News Editor.
Q. Could you give a rundown of a day at The Daily Campus office?
A.Well there isn’t really any typical day in the newsroom, which is one of the things I like best about the news business. It’s always changing and it keeps my job exciting!
Q. What changes have you brought to the news organization this semester?
A.Well this semester is very different from any other because The Daily Campus merged with the former Daily Mustang and with SMU-TV. We have tried to incorporate a lot more multimedia content into the DC and I have tried to make sure our website is always fresh with the latest campus news.
Q. What is your plan for after graduation?
A.I hope to work in journalism in Washington D.C. I have applied to several jobs out there, so keep your fingers crossed that I hear back from one of them soon!
Q. What is the most challenging part about being editor in chief?
A.The most challenging part is the time commitment. I am taking 19 hours and interning at The Dallas Morning News this semester as well, so it can be hard to balance it all.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMU chapter.