Weinberg junior Peter Kotecki named The Daily’s next editor in chief

Tim Balk, Managing Editor

Peter Kotecki will serve as the next editor in chief of The Daily Northwestern, the paper’s publisher announced Monday.

The junior is currently a managing editor and will assume the position of EIC for Spring Quarter and next Fall Quarter. After joining The Daily during fall of his freshman year, Kotecki went on to serve as development and recruitment editor and campus editor before becoming a managing editor this winter. Kotecki, who studies integrated science and legal studies, is the first editor in chief of The Daily to come from a school outside of Medill since Ciara McCarthy, who served from fall 2014 to winter 2015.

“I look forward to expanding the digital side of The Daily, particularly the video desk and our reach on social media,” Kotecki said. “I’m very excited to work with a talented staff, and I plan to focus on recruiting students from all undergraduate schools.”

Kotecki will succeed Medill junior Julia Jacobs, who has led The Daily over the past two quarters. Jacobs said she thinks Kotecki’s strengths include his work ethic and his attention to detail.

“As a reporter and editor, Peter has deep institutional knowledge of the university,” Jacobs said. “He’s a strong leader and he has great ideas for The Daily’s digital presence. I’m excited to see his ideas come to life.”

Kotecki’s In Focus on the discovery of the drug Lyrica in a Northwestern laboratory and its subsequent impact on the university received the first-place award at this year’s Illinois College Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting in the daily newspaper category. Kotecki also wrote an In Focus about mental health and sexual harassment resources on study abroad programs.

The board of Students Publishing Co., The Daily’s parent organization, interviewed Kotecki Monday evening.

“We like Peter’s organizational ideas. We like (his) digital and social media emphasis,” said board member Ed Bryant, who chaired the selection meeting. “The Board looks forward to Peter’s successful term in office as editor in chief.”

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