News Editor, U.S. news and economics for The Wall Street Journal
What do you do in that position?
I’m the U.S. news desk’s primary editor of U.S. economics news, be it coverage of the Federal Reserve and monetary policy or the monthly jobs report or the quarterly readings/revisions on gross domestic product. I work closely with economics reporters/editors in Washington to direct Wall Street Journal coverage. I also edit general news features and a host of other stories as needed for the U.S. desk.
What are the most important skills you use?
I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that I don’t call on some editing skill or lesson I learned in college, be it judging the merit of news or structuring a story or navigating an ethical dilemma. The courses we took as students – and this was before the popular adoption of the Internet as a news medium – have translated well as the media transition to largely digital delivery.
Specifically, I think interpersonal skills are most important and undervalued for a working journalist. At the Journal, in particular, I work with many personalities in many different places around the world. Everyone is under extreme competitive pressure and I think it’s important to be collegial, approachable, flexible in pursuit of disseminating the news as needed.
What are your favorite memories of TCNJ JPW program or serving on student media?
My times at The Signal are by far the most memorable. I wish I could have appreciated it more when I was in the midst, but there was no better venue to learn how to be a professional journalist than The Signal – even professional internships. Aside from meeting my wife at The Signal, I made friendships that have lasted beyond college and hindsight has made even the difficult times seem like fond memories. We worked on big stories – the ouster of the old president (the current namesake of Eickhoff Hall), amazing sports achievements (100 consecutive wins for women’s lacrosse, if I recall correctly) – and thorny pieces that tested our training and that I often call upon today when faced with questions. And that isn’t even mentioning the pizza-fueled all-nighters.
The program itself was literally two people when I was there – professors Pearson and Cole. They were honest mentors who pushed us all to be the best journalists we could be. Lessons like “critical news journals” and projects like the e-magazine Unbound were real and stand out for their continuing applicability to professional work – even nearly two decades removed from college (OK, a decade and a half). They taught us how to create and critique thoughtful work.
Do you have any advice for current students?
Take the long view and stop to reflect while you’re in school. It’s hard. But to the extent possible, it’s worth appreciating the opportunity and experience while you’re in it.