After three years chasing answers from University of New Mexico officials, searching through crime data and helping steer the Daily Lobo newsroom through an era of change, Daily Lobo Managing Editor Lauren Lifke is graduating with a bachelor's degree in journalism & mass communication and a minor in statistics, and signing off. Known for her data-driven reporting, dark humor and fun little beverage in hand, Lifke leaves a legacy of accountability journalism and mentorship that helped reshape how student journalists cover the University of New Mexico.
Lifke first joined the Daily Lobo her sophomore year with a piece for the 2023 satire issue — a fake article about celebrating Women’s history month by offering free hysterectomies in front of Chick-Fil-A at the UNM Student Union Building.
After writing the satire article, Lifke took a different direction and developed a beat as a crime reporter.
“I was into the crime aspect of things and the issue of LoboAlerts, because that was something that I noticed before getting into journalism that a lot of students would be talking about crime on campus and LoboAlerts,” Lifke said.
After her coverage of a fatal shooting and the subsequent delay of a LoboAlert, Lifke and former Editor-in-Chief Lily Alexander went on to cover UNM’s noncompliance with crime transparency laws, a story they won second place for investigative reporting and second place for news writing by the 2024 New Mexico Press Association awards.
“To this day it’s my favorite story I’ve published," Lifke said. “I came into my journalism class and people had read it and they were really glad that somebody's writing about this because it had been an issue that people had been talking about.”
Shortly after the story's release, Lifke was promoted to the position of managing editor, a position she “kind of stumbled into,” she said.
“Once I started doing it that January, I realized I liked it and I liked our Sunday print nights, and I kind of liked being more involved in the paper in that way,” Lifke said.
As managing editor, Lifke edited every story that was published and help design the paper.
“One of the things that I enjoyed doing was editing bigger stories,” Lifke said. “I like to see the amount of work the reporter put into it, what comes out of it, and then the public's reaction to it.”
This summer, Lifke will intern at Maryland Matters in Annapolis, Maryland, as a part of her participation in the Dow Jones News Fund Internship Program — a national program that seeks to promote careers in journalism and provides internships for nearly 100 college students across the country. Lifke plans to use her skills in data journalism at Maryland Matters, she said.
As she heads to Annapolis to join Maryland Matters, Lifke hopes future Lobos keep chasing stories with impact — and aren’t afraid to file as many Inspection of Public Records requests as it takes.
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“I hope that reporters can continue the trajectory of the stuff that me and my phenomenal colleagues have created,” Lifke said. “I hope that (the trajectory) will inspire future reporters to learn how to use public records and look into UNMPD and hold power to account in that way.”
Nate Bernard is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @natebernard14
Nate Bernard is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @natebernard14
