I write to you, the faithful, occasional and everywhere in between readers of The Michigan Daily, as the newly elected editor in chief of this publication. The details of this transition in leadership may seem pedantic, complicated and unnecessary to your engagement, but are nonetheless essential to maintaining transparency. We are a publication that has operated for over 130 years, providing an accurate and fair account of the news and issues of consequence while maintaining editorial independence and accountability to its readers. As such, this communication felt especially necessary.
For those who may not know, The Daily operates in two cycles of managerial staff, one during the school-year months, from January to December, made up of mostly upperclassmen and longtime staffers. Another staff of editors then works during the summer, generally made up of younger staffers, many of whom are taking on leadership roles for the first time. Our school-year editors, including the editor in chief and managing editor, my previous role, are typically elected in November and work the next calendar year.
Unfortunately, the previous editor in chief had to step away from The Daily for personal reasons after the end of the Winter 2022 semester. After they announced their resignation over the summer, I, as managing editor, stepped in as acting editor in chief in their absence. Following this, the appropriate steps were then taken, in accordance with the bylaws of our organization, to elect a new editor in chief.
In July, I was formally appointed interim editor in chief by The Daily’s governing body, Management Desk (MDesk), which is made up of each section’s senior and managing editors. In this role, I managed our publication’s transition back to school-year staff, acting as both editor in chief and managing editor as I transitioned from my previous role and prepared to take on my next.
Once an all-staff election could be held, I ran uncontested and was elected permanent editor in chief of The Daily. Once in this position, I appointed Kate Weiland and Vanessa Kiefer as co-managing editors to fulfill the role I was leaving open. I will hold this new role until the end of the Fall 2022 semester, when our next school-year editor in chief will take office.
We always welcome interaction with our audience as we strive to better serve our community, but that communication will be especially important and valued during this time of transition. I can be reached at eic@michigandaily.com.
As of right now, email is also the best way to communicate with our various sections, and this contact information can be found here.
As a final note, I would like to express my sincerest honor to have taken upon this role and my deepest commitment to fulfilling my responsibilities with care, compassion and integrity; I hope to serve you, our readers, well.
Paige Hodder is The Daily’s Editor in Chief and can be reached at eic@michigandaily.com.