The new year will bring fresh leadership to MSU’s independent voice.
The role of editor in chief for The State News will be filled by Jeremy W. Steele, a journalism senior who has been working for the paper for seven semesters.
“It was always something that I thought about doing,” he said.
Steele applied for the position a year ago but was beat by the current editor, Mary Sell.
“I know it helped me to go through it twice,” he said. “It helped me to know the process and put my goals in perspective for the next year.”
Steele began working at The State News in spring 1999 after winning the first State News Scholarship.
He then went on to be housing and campus courts reporter, Capitol reporter, administration reporter, city editor, managing editor, cops and courts reporter and opinion editor, a role he fills now.
Steele has also held two professional newspaper internships - at The Flint Journal and The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Sell said Steele is very dedicated to The State News.
“He has been here since he was a freshman,” she said. “It’s very clear that The State News is a priority in Jeremy’s life.”
Sell said Steele is very goal-oriented and determined.
“As a reporter and as an editor, Jeremy has done a lot as far as structuring the paper,” she said. “He always has an idea, always has a way to build on a story, or a series or any project that we’re doing. I think he’ll be able to apply that to the paper as a whole as editor in chief.
“I think that Jeremy as a leader has grown and improved greatly in the past year. Any doubts I had about him last year were erased this year. ”
Steele was officially hired by The State News’ Board of Directors in October after surpassing copy chief Dan Austin in the staff election.
Marty Sprigg, the paper’s general manager, said she thinks Steele will do a tremendous job and is looking forward to a year of working with him.
“His news judgment is one of the strongest characteristics he is going to bring to The State News,” she said. “He has always had a good nose for news and the determination to follow a story.”
Steele said there will be no major, obvious changes in The State News - just an improved package of what is already there.
“We have one of the best college newspapers in the nation,” he said. “My goal is for The State News to not just be one of the best, but the best.”
And Steele said his love for working at the paper is important in how he will perform as editor in chief.
“I’m looking forward to watching over everybody as they learn and grow,” he said. “And hopefully help everybody in the newsroom become better journalists, get good jobs and put out a better newspaper.”
