Copy editor at Dow Jones & Co. and The Wall Street Journal.
What exactly do you do in that position?
I come in around 6 a.m. to publish our two daily email newsletters, LBO Wire and VentureWire, which focus on the private equity and venture capital industries, respectively. I search newswires and the Web for leads (typically looking for press releases or breaking news from competitors such as Bloomberg News or Reuters that we might be able to advance) and I assign stories to reporters. I also contribute to our blog at WSJ.com, Private Equity Beat, and to our monthly magazine, Private Equity Analyst. Some of our reporters’ stories end up being of interest to a broader audience, so I will occasionally send them over for inclusion on Dow Jones Newswires or in The Wall Street Journal.
What are the most important skills you use?
News judgment. I’m primarily responsible for assigning leads for reporters to pursue, so this requires not only that I know which stories are worth covering, but also which ones are worth prioritizing. Knowledge of Wall Street Journal style and basic grammar are also needed, but the ability to make judgment calls quickly is the most valuable skill in my position.
What are your favorite memories of TCNJ JPW program or serving on student media?
Other than writing my stories for the annual April Fools’ “Singal” issue of The Signal, I’d say my favorite memories are of those occasions when the Signal newsroom would suddenly buzz with activity during a breaking story. I particularly remember when I was news editor and it was learned that the athletic field’s artificial turf contained lead. We had to quickly learn the health hazards and dangers involved, and how this was allowed to happen. That was one of my first experiences of seeing a newsroom jump to life with an urgent story.
Do you have any advice for current students?
Take full advantage of your internship opportunities. My first job out of college was with The Press of Atlantic City, and I got the position only because I had impressed some editors as a summer reporting intern the year before. And the first, best step to landing a good internship is to get your foot in the door at the student newspaper. It’s worth going back into that office again and again until you get some leads that are really worth digging into. That’s how you’ll end up with clips that will get the attention of a professional editor.