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One day in late March, I headed to The Daily Orange office feeling cranky after photographing a men’s soccer game. Wherever I stood I managed to be in another photographer’s way, and he did not fail to let me know. 

Later that night, editor-in-chief Casey Darnell and managing editor Emma Folts called me in and asked if I’d consider applying to be editor-in-chief for the following year. 

Hearing the management team thought I could lead this incredible staff and build on their work was everything to me. No obnoxious photographer could wipe the smile off my face after that moment. 

Since then, I have been working alongside managing editor Mandy Kraynak and digital managing editor Abby Weiss to continue initiatives established by management teams before us, like the diversity tracker, and implement policies of our own — all while keeping up with the 24/7 news cycle and producing the stories our readers have come to expect. 

This summer, Mandy, Abby and I crafted mission and values statements. The D.O. has been through a tremendous period of change, prompted by the pandemic and our ongoing shift to a digital-first media platform; these statements are meant to guide us as this institution continues to grow and evolve. 

They also stress our commitment to expanding the diversity of our newsroom and coverage. We are in the process of finalizing our spring 2021 diversity report, first introduced last year, and have improved our data collection process by altering the way in which writers report this information for every story. 

We’re working on a number of initiatives focused on growing the diversity of our newsroom. A potential scholarship for students who are Black, Indigenous or people of color is in the works (if you’d like to support this scholarship, please email me!). 

While many of our efforts are focused on The D.O.’s future, we are also ensuring we celebrate our past. A new team of archivists is focused on preserving the 118 years of history currently residing in our attic, as well as making our collection more accessible through digitization. 

We’re also updating and improving our website with the goal of creating a team of student programmers who will be able to maintain it for years to come.

After spending the summer getting ready for the year ahead and establishing our guiding goals, Mandy, Abby and I are so happy to be back on campus with a house full of staffers. We’re excited for what’s to come and look forward to sharing it with alumni. 

Thank you for your support. 

Emily Steinberger, editor-in-chief 2021-22

Published on September 24, 2021 at 12:37 pm

Contact Emily: emilyrosesteinberger@gmail.com | @madlehead