Collegiate Newspaper Continues on Winning Streak
professional publications. Students have a unique opportunity to not only hone their writing skills, but also to meet how to meet deadlines, how to edit, how to proof, how to prepare, how to plan, how to plan ahead for major projects. There’s a shift in media as journalism continues to evolve, so the Lariat had to adjust. In addition to building the name of the paper, another goal Devries has is to increase web content and to create a foothold in social media. “Electronic media is where society is, so we have to keep up with that as well” Paul Carr, Baylor Lariat advisor, said. “In this last year we institutionalized it as part of the job descriptions for different positions within the newsroom.” The Lariat has added new positions dealing specifically with social media and multimedia to increase its digital presence. With the goal of going digital first, the Lariat is committed to finding the information and getting it out to its audience as quickly as possible. Despite the emphasis on digital media, the Lariat continues to produce print because it’s important for students to develop their design and thinking skills required for news organizations. It’s not easy to outdo the previous year, but the Lariat is committed to producing quality work. While great writing is a critical skill, having the right people for the task is a constant struggle every semester. “The first challenge was assembling a team that I would believe in,” Devries said. “Now it’s just a matter of everyone hitting a rhythm at the same point and consistently putting out quality work. If we do that on a regular basis the awards will follow.” Writing skills can be improved and with the training put in place, it’s easy to see why the Lariat always ranks among the best. The difference has been hiring the right people who are passionate about news and want to produce the best work possible.
PARMIDA SCHAHHOSSEINI
18 IT MEANS A LOT TO WIN FOUR IN A ROW BECAUSE IT MEANS YOU ESTABLISHED YOURSELF AMONG OTHER TEXAS COLLEGIATE NEWSPAPERS