The Michigan Daily editorial staff recently elected a team of 14 new editors to manage the paper for the 2011 calendar year.

Every year, writers, editors, photographers and designers vote in a staff-wide election to choose the paper’s editor-in-chief and editorial page editor. Each section holds a similar election to choose its managing editor. In addition, the paper’s senior editors appoint some editorial positions, including the managing editor, the Daily’s second in command.

After an election that lasted for several hours, LSA junior Stephanie Steinberg was elected editor in chief last month. Steinberg — who is currently a senior news editor — is the Daily’s first female editor-in-chief since 2000.

“I’m honored to be in this position,” she said. “I really hope I can set an example for all the future women reporters who walk through the Daily.”

Steinberg said that though she has a number of plans to improve the paper during the next year, she hopes to deliver the product readers have come to expect.

“I really want to continue to uphold the same standard that the Daily has practiced for the last 121 years,” she said.

She added that some of her main goals include expanding circulation into downtown Ann Arbor and using social networking outlets like Facebook, Twitter and mobile applications to disseminate news.

LSA junior Kyle Swanson, who was appointed as the paper’s managing editor for next year, said that while he has worked at the Daily for four years, he is excited to be part of the new team.

“I’m excited to be at the Daily for another year,” he said. “And I’m excited to be able to work with Stephanie, and all the other editors and staffers.”

Newly elected Managing News Editor Nicole Aber, an LSA junior, said she plans to further leverage new forms of technology to revamp how readers receive their campus news.

“We’re going to really try and increase our use of multimedia next semester to make more visually interesting components to go with stories,” she said.

Similarly, all the new editors said they had major plans to make improvements within their sections, through organizational changes and new training methods.

Co-Managing Photo Editor Jed Moch, an LSA junior, said that along with his co-editor, Art & Design sophomore Marissa McClain, he plans to ensure all photographers have a strong grasp of basic design elements, such as Photoshop skills and use of artificial lighting.

“The cornerstone of our campaign was staff expansion and staff training,” he said. “We want to bridge the gap between people on staff and editors, and bring everyone up to a level where they can feel comfortable editing and taking on significant assignments.”

The newly elected co-managing sports editors, LSA junior Nick Spar and Engineering junior Tim Rohan, said they hope to improve efficiency between writers and editors to make the most of everyone’s time.

“I think we have a really great group of people on staff,” Spar said. “And I’m confident the sports section will rise to new heights.”

LSA junior Sharon Jacobs, the newly elected managing arts editor, said she hopes to increase communication between writers and editors in her section.

“I hope to preserve the integrity of the writers’ self expression while holding Daily Arts to the high standard of writing and content that we have upheld for the last couple of years,” she said.

Other editors mentioned their plans to make their sections more accessible and familiar, both to student readers as well as to Daily staff members.

LSA junior Carolyn Klarecki, who was appointed to be the magazine editor for the coming year, said she has plans to make The Statement more available to Daily writers in all sections.

“I want The Statement to be a place where all the best writers at the Daily can showcase their work,” she said.