Medill junior Katherine Driessen will be the next editor in chief of The Daily, announced the Students Publishing Co. Inc., publisher of The Daily, on Thursday.
Driessen will take over at the beginning of Spring Quarter 2011 and serve through the end of Fall Quarter 2011. She will succeed current Editor in Chief Brian Rosenthal, a Medill senior.
Four candidates applied for the position.
SPC Board Chairman and Medill Prof. Charles Whitaker called this year’s candidate pool “an embarrassment of riches,” but said Driessen had some “intangibles” that set her apart.
“Katherine really suggested she would be an excellent face of The Daily, but also an excellent leader of The Daily,” Whitaker said.
Each of the candidates submitted an application before being interviewed Thursday by the SPC board.
Driessen said she is “incredibly excited” to be the next editor in chief.
“We’re moving in such a good direction in terms of how we tell the news both online and in print, and I wanted to be a bigger part in that kind of storytelling,” said Driessen, currently co-sports editor of The Daily.
Driessen has worked for the Sports Desk for five quarters and previously worked for the copy desk.
She has also worked for professional publications including the Columbia Flier, an offshoot of The Baltimore Sun.
Driessen said her vision for The Daily’s future includes recruiting more non-Medill students, changing how paper recruits and trains its staff overall and including more In Focus, or in-depth and investigative, stories.
“We have a really talented staff,” Driessen said. “It’s an exciting time in the news to jump into the fray.”
Rosenthal, who has served as editor in chief since May, said The Daily “is in extremely capable hands.”
“Katherine is going to do a fantastic job as editor,” he said. “In her two years at The Daily she has consistently stood out as a very talented editor and reporter. I expect that to continue.”
He added that Katherine is “the nicest person” he knows.
“I’m happy for her,” he said, “and I’m happy for The Daily.”
Whitaker said Driessen has “wonderful ideas for recruitment, staff management and for developing The Daily both in print and online.”
“The board is looking forward tremendously to working with her next year,” he said.
