Sneha Dey was named the next editor in chief of The Daily Northwestern, the paper’s publisher announced Tuesday night.

Dey, a Medill junior, is currently a print managing editor for The Daily. She had previously served as summer managing editor, city editor, web editor and development and recruitment editor. She has also served two quarters as diversity and inclusion editor.

The Scarsdale, N.Y. native was a reporting intern for Chalkbeat this past summer.

Dey said as editor in chief, she wants to bridge the gap between the newsroom and the Daily’s audience by creating avenues for communication between staffers and readers. She also wants to prioritize increasing diversity in coverage, which means listening to communities on campus and in the city of Evanston.

“The decisions we make on coverage have a real impact on our surrounding communities,” Dey said. “I want to work to make sure all the content we put out is really serving our readers first and foremost.”

Internally, Dey said she wants to lead with an understanding of the difficulties of working during the pandemic. In the forthcoming quarters, she hopes to prioritize the mental health and wellness of staffers and facilitate community building, even in a remote setting.

John Byrne, chairman of the SPC Board, said he’s confident in Dey’s ability to lead during this unique time.

“The past few months have been an extraordinary time for the student journalists at The Daily, and the coming months will feature many new opportunities and continuing challenges,” Byrne said. “We have every confidence in Sneha’s ability to lead The Daily.”

Dey will assume the position for Winter and Spring Quarter 2021. She will succeed Medill senior Marissa Martinez, who has held the position Spring and Fall Quarter 2020.

Martinez said she’s looking forward to seeing Dey continue the significant impact she’s already had as a senior staffer.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Sneha over the past few years, specifically on diversity and inclusion related issues,” Martinez said. “I’m really happy to pass on the role onto another woman of color and see how she makes it her own, especially in this really chaotic period for The Daily and for college newspapers in general during the pandemic.”

Gabby Birenbaum, Ella Brockway and Charlotte Walsh contributed reporting. 

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @andreabian_