Arian Smedley nomination

The Athens Messenger is nominating Messenger Staff Journalist Arian Smedley for the Ohio Newspaper Association 2013 Rising Star Awards.

Arian joined The Messenger in July of 2012 and has already proven herself a valuable member of our editorial staff. Prior to her employment with The Messenger, Arian worked as an editor for the Associated Press in New York from September of 2008 through November of 2010. Arian then worked as a freelance journalist until her employment began with The Messenger.

Arian has demonstrated all the innate qualities needed for a successful journalist and has a bright career ahead of her. Her beat primarily consists of coverage of five school districts but she is also a strong feature writer and has shown the ability to coverage a wide range of topics.

Several of her articles are being considered for the 2012 Ohio APME Newspaper contest.

(Attached are several articles demonstrating her work.) If they are to be successful, journalists today not only need to able to specialize in certain areas but they also need to be able to perform a variety of tasks associated with producing a strong product and Arian meets or exceeds expectations on both fronts. She has shown the ability to not only write compelling, clean copy but also produce effective video and shoot story-telling photographs. Her editing skills are also strong and she possesses a strong ability to develop and maintain relationships with sources and consumers.

Arian Smedley is a true rising star in this industry. Her future is bright and The Messenger is a better place and produces a better product in part because of what she brings to the team each and every day.

Sincerely, Joe Higgins Messenger editor