The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / New editor loses weight, gains insight

New editor loses weight, gains insight

December 3, 2004 by Jonathan Smith

By Jonathan Smith, Editor in Chief

Fifteen weeks as editor of the Optimist has taught me more than how to complete a front page from start to finish in less than three hours on deadline.

When applying and interviewing for this job last semester, the newspaper adviser told me to be ready because I did not even know what would be in store for me.

Some lessons I learned early: why no one else applied for this job, and why even the skinniest editor in chief will lose weight while on the job.

Those are lessons I taught myself, but some of the most important lessons I could never have learned sitting in my dark hole of an office. They have come from listening to the hundreds, even thousands, of readers who read the Optimist twice a week.

I have learned that I can rarely predict what will inspire readers to write in or respond to about the Optimist. Stories, editorials and pictures run every week that I think will have someone up in arms about the newspaper or university. Without fail, days will pass and the paper will receive no responses about those.

More often than not, response will come from the story or opinion I never dreamed would offend anyone.

That has taught me that just because we write an editorial about it or I stick something on the front page, it does not suddenly become all-important. Many readers are just as likely to be interested in what I decide should go on page seven.

Maybe the hardest lesson I am still coming to terms with is that many of the things I spend most of my time doing each deadline are never noticed-nor do I expect them to be.

I don’t think I have ever heard anyone outside the Don Morris Center tell me, “That was a really great reverse-six flow on your front page today,” or “You really should have used ‘begin’ instead of ‘start’ in that headline.”

I continue to pay attention to those details because they are part of what makes the Optimist one of the best university newspapers in the state. Judges notice that, other journalists notice that and I think many readers do notice it at least on some level.

Even more basic than that, though, I’ve seen that many readers are just as satisfied to see a simple story about a group they are involved in as I am when I design a solid front page. Both are important aspects of the paper; one is just easy to forget about when I’m out chasing the big story or sitting in my office typing.

Twenty-eight issues down; 26 to go.

I really have no idea what will be in store for my second semester as editor, but thank you, readers, for helping make me at least that much more prepared for it.

Filed Under: Columns

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Jonathan Smith

You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / New editor loses weight, gains insight

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved