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Leadership & Team Building
What sets Knight Media apart from other publication is our emphasis on collaboration. Team work is at the core of each of our individual successes, which is why I must carry a responsibility to ensure the staff is functioning well together. From the start of each issue cycle to the moment we send our pages to the printer, we are constantly working alongside each other. In the begging of each issue is our budget brainstorm meeting where we will meet in small sections to share story ideas. Then, each section leader will share the group's ideas with the class as we write them on a document. After claiming our individual story ideas, each of us will immediately post our ideas to a discussion forum where we will comment source or angle ideas for that story. The next deadlines over the proceeding weeks are the brainstorm sheet, outline, rough draft, revisions and final draft. Click here to read more about the editing process. As final drafts are rolling in, pasteups is when editors will sit down from 3 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday to design a page. On these tiresome nights, questions about InDesign, page layout and grammar are flying across the room as we all help support and collaborate on pages until we hit "send." An editor will never be alone at an stage in the process because other staff members are expected to guide, make suggestions and answer questions to create an overall spectacular publication.
Redefining Staff Positions
However, nothing pushes us to grow as individuals more than our 'Success Evaluations." After every issue, we all fill out an evaluation sheet that allows us to reflect upon our performance ad deadline making that issue as well as our peers' contributions, too. This sheet guides us to set goals for not just ourselves going into the next issue, but also for other staff members. I wanted to increase communication and inclusivity among newer staff members using this evaluation sheet. In order to ease a possible communication gap, I added a section to that evaluation sheet for staff members to send an anonymous message to the Executive Board if they have any concerns or questions but aren't comfortable saying it directly to those with more seniority on staff.
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Over the summer, my co-editor-in-chief and I redesigned certain staff positions to balance the distribution of responsibility across the program. The biggest change was the establishment of an editorial board. Previously, staff editorial would be written by an executive board member alone, but in order to add diversity to the voice of the editorial, I suggested the editorial board be composed of two executive board members from each platform of Knight Media. So both executive producers of KnightTV and Knight Voices, online editors-in-chief and print editors-in-chief are direct members of the board. Beyond being involved in staff editorial, the editorial board may divide up interviews and work so that it doesn't all fall upon one person. This has been a beneficial system to allow individuals to write a story when they have more time or are more passionate about the subject.
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Added section to the evaluation sheet
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The Editorial Board and I discussing staff editorial
Leadership & Cultivating a Team Environment
Four years ago, I wouldn't have considered myself a natural leader. I wasn't an extravert or someone that desires the spotlight. My junior year as a copy editor was a turning point when I became confident in my abilities as a journalist and editor. Because I was responsible for commenting on half the staff's stories that year, communicating with staff members became natural.
Telling the class the plan for the day: commenting on outlines and reaching out to sources
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When I first stood up to talk to the class of over 30 students as an editor-in-chief this year, I gave the day's agenda and expectations without giving it a second thought. A few years ago, I would never have been able to do that, but as my self confidence grew through my journalistic abilities, it was conveyed in other aspects of my life. Now I walk around the classroom checking in with staff members regularly, asking and answering questions about their work -- not just as an editor-in-chief, but also a a friend. Newer staff members feel comfortable coming up to me and asking me questions directly, too, because I laid the groundwork to develop those bonds early in the year. I also enjoy teaching other staff members about the skills I developed over the years. I have been a session leader for the two district-wide journalism events we the past three years (COVID-19 prevented us from having one last year). I led a session on broadcast journalism to teach journalists in all the schools in our district when I was the only one on staff that produced broadcast stories (KnightTV did not exist at that time). This year I'm leading a session on page design.
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Beyond teaching and sharing advice based on my experiences, my primary goal for myself as a leader is getting staff members to take bigger risks and more responsibility. Every time I see someone taking on a more ambitious story or use a new medium, I feel a sense of pride because I know I helped them feel safe enough to take those risks. I am someone that leads by example, so instead of telling people what I want them to do in the long term, I show them by stepping up and taking on breaking news story that need urgent coverage or designing more pages and adding more creative elements. And I know my staff recognizes this because I've won the votes for "Most Dedicated" all three issues we've voted on so far this year.
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I have planned several team-building events including executive board beach trips to introduce new members to the executive board, our annual Secret Santa Party, and providing donuts to celebrate print distribution as we hand-delivered the newspapers. These small moments of sharing are what the staff and I remember most year to year.
Kevin Lynch, Copy Editor
"Olivia has such a strong presence on staff; she's someone you can always count on to be there if you need her.
Luis Hernandez, KnightTV Live Executive Producer
"Since we met, Olivia has helped me improve my photography and made us all feel closer as a staff.
Kailie Foley, Copy Editor
"Olivia has encouraged me to incorporate my individuality into my work and is extremely accepting toward my individual way of storytelling. She works with people based on their own strengths, which I sincerely value.