Although I do not often cover news events, I do a significant amount of feature writing. The best part about said feature writing is that I get to connect with the subjects of my articles and become more aware of the town I live in. Over the course of this year I have improved significantly just by practicing and talking with others.

As an Editor-in-Chief for two publications ([proof] & KPLY) I have had my fair share of working with others to create the best possible final product. However, I believe that we could improve upon team building in order to help all staff members feel encouraged and comfortable while working on whichever publication they desire.

As an artist myself, I have always tried to design spreads in a way that not only accurately represents the story being told but also is visually appealing and eye-catching for the reader. After all, without design there’s just one big block of text. My designs for spreads have evolved to include more colors and patterns. For this upcoming semester, however, I plan to focus more on web and product design to foster more interest in the incubator.

I have had a passion for photography since I was a child. So, it seems fitting that one of my favorite forms writing is photojournalism. It is definitely my most confident aspect of Journalism and, although it can sometimes be a struggle, I love forcing myself to go out and photograph the world. Because of photojournalism, I have become more comfortable with spontaneously traveling to a variety of events and locations from the Stanford Holi festival which I covered for my [proof] photo essay “Festival of Colors” to a Carnaval parade in San Francisco.

As the previous social media manager of Ink. alongside my other media management positions, I have learned a lot about the internet and how helpful it can be when creating a final product. These skills that I have learned while being on numerous magazine staffs has helped me improve this website as well as my own social medias. I have become more comfortable with the use of this technology which will no doubt help me in the future.

Without a background in broadcast, I was nervous about how I would create a strong working environment for the school podcast, making my staff feel comfortable with the process while increasing the amount of listeners. As I was a self-taught podcaster, I knew how daunting it was to start using the equipment and editing software. I found that a weekly format with shorter episodes was incredibly helpful since it allowed for the staff to dip their toes into broadcast journalism while providing a consistent schedule for listeners.

Journalism is just as much an issue in law as it is an art form. Through the past year I have had to balance what should and should not be included in articles for various reasons whether it be to protect the identity of the subject or to discuss news in an impartial manner. I’ve realized just how important transparency is for journalism and how, especially for endorsements, it is important to state how you chose what and who to endorse and discuss with others.

As part of the incubator, a series of upcoming publications, marketing and audience engagement is one of the most important responsibilities as an editor. This year I have focused mainly on engagement within the staff but have tried to maintain a consistent schedule in terms of production for maximizing audience engagement. Still, I could improve upon the online presence of the publications specifically on social media platforms which would help draw in more viewers. I also plan on working with the staff to diversify our content through features to draw in a larger audience.

In the incubator, we have a very small team which only allows for a limited perspective. Nonetheless, we try to get everyone to dabble in multiple publications to expand their knowledge and bring new ideas to each one. For next year, through communicating with other classes, more people have joined our publications than ever before. This will not only help to diversify our staff but also diversify our stories and create new ideas for how to improve upon each publication.