Communication junior Adam Williams was named The Daily’s next editor in chief Wednesday night by the Students Publishing Co. board.
Williams, who currently is The Daily’s campus editor, served as managing editor of The Summer Northwestern last year. He also has worked as development editor, news editor and design editor since joining The Daily in Fall Quarter 2000.
Medill junior Mindy Hagen, the current development editor, and Medill junior Matt Lopas, a former city editor, also applied for the position.
The competitive field made the decision difficult, said Prof. Bill Revelle, the acting chairman of the seven-member board.
“We had three extremely qualified candidates,” said Revelle, a psychology professor. “After a long, thoughtful discussion, we went with Adam.”
Williams’ tenure will begin next quarter and will last through Winter Quarter 2004.
He said one of his top goals for The Daily will be increasing the ethnic diversity of the newsroom and drawing staff members from outside the Medill School of Journalism.
“I’m not in Medill myself,” Williams said. “Diversity all around, I think, will translate into diversity in content.”
He also would like to expand The Daily’s investigative and in-depth reporting, he said.
“It’s so good to be part of something so positive and strong,” Williams said.
This was the first competitive race for the position in three years. Current Editor in Chief Matt Donnelly and his predecessor, Casey Newton, were unopposed.
Williams’ varied experience in the newsroom will be an asset to the paper because “he sees the story from the point of view of a campus editor and a designer,” Donnelly said.
Hagen and Lopas praised Williams and said he will be an able editor in chief.
“I don’t think they could have picked a better person for the job,” Hagen said. “You can see how much he loves that place.”
Donnelly said Hagen and Lopas were strong candidates and expressed hope that “Adam’s first task is making sure to keep them close at hand.”
Before he takes his position next quarter, Williams said he has plenty of work to do as campus editor.
“I’ll just be back in the office tomorrow, doing it all over again,” Williams said. “Being the (next) editor in chief doesn’t change that fact.”
