Junior journalism major David Lynch was selected on Friday last week to be the next editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo.
Lynch, who has served as managing editor and news editor, said applying for editor-in-chief felt like the natural next step for him.
In his 18 months at the Lobo, he said he has accumulated a lot of experience in both journalism and in running a paper.
“I feel like, all the knowledge I’ve gained, I’m confident about what I can do in that position,” Lynch said.
Lynch, a multimedia journalism major, said one of his main priorities going forward is embracing the digitization of the news.
“I think we’ve kind of just gotten our feet wet with it a little bit, and I think it’s time to take that forward and get it to the point where our readership expects the Daily Lobo to be the publication that breaks the news,” he said.
That includes taking advantage of social media as well as providing visuals in different and original ways.
“Doing those things to, in general, tailor to how news is consumed these days, while still maintaining journalistic values of finding the impactful stories and finding things that are important to our readers,” Lynch said.
Lynch wants to create more of a balance between “hard” and “soft” news stories and motivate reporters to go out and find substantial news stories. For reporters, that includes questioning what stories are most important to students and how they can be presented in a coherent way.
Lynch said one of his favorite parts of working at the Lobo, and journalism in general, is getting the news out to students and keeping the public informed.
“I have a passion for getting information out and I have a passion for searching for the truth and making sure voices are represented in certain decisions,” he said.
Jyllian Roach, the Daily Lobo’s current editor-in-chief, said Lynch is smart, a fast learner and works well under pressure, making him the obvious and best choice for the position. Roach said she has no doubt he will bring a positive legacy to the position and to the Daily Lobo in general.
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“He’s wanted this from the moment he joined the staff. He’s worked incredibly hard for it,” Roach said. “He’s amazing and he’s absolutely perfect for the job.”
She said during his time at the Lobo, Lynch has been wonderful to work with, adding that he has never missed a deadline or written anything poorly.
“He’s been one of those rare standout employees where he understands the rules, he understands the intricacies of the job and he just gets it done,” Roach said. “When there is chaos, when things are going wrong, he can see a path through it and he doesn’t let nerves get in the way.”
Lynch said he is confident about taking the torch from Roach, who has served as editor-in-chief for an unprecedented two years.
“She’s definitely left her footprint, I’m confident that she’s definitely taught me a lot about leading, about managing and about the ins and out of the Daily Lobo in general,” he said. “I feel confident that I can absorb some of the things she taught me and mesh it with my own style.”
Lynch said that, as editor-in-chief, he will continue to be a resource for reporters and will lead by example.
“Motivating our younger reporters and motivating the editors to work together to do whatever we can to produce the best content that we can,” he said.
Some of the greatest lessons Lynch has learned at the Lobo is the importance of communication, a cohesive working environment and motivating others to do their best work.
“I’m in a really good position to enable everyone in the newsroom to have that confidence and be in that position to say, ‘I’m a big part of this team and I’m a big part of this cause to produce the best content that we can.’”
Nick Fojud, photo editor at the Daily Lobo, said he is excited that Lynch got the position, as it is well-deserved.
“I couldn’t think of anyone more qualified,” he said. ““He really cares about the Lobo and the people that work there.”
For Roach, the thing she will miss the most about the Lobo is the team, she said.
“One of the greatest pleasures I had in that job was building such a cohesive team with people who take pleasure in each other’s company and who work so well together and I will miss that dynamic,” she said.
Roach said being the editor-in-chief who had the ability to build that dynamic was an “absolute honor”.
Lynch will take the helm of the Daily Lobo on May 1. His term will conclude on April 30, 2017.
Matthew Reisen is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
