After long deliberation Tuesday night, the Oregon Daily Emerald’s Board of Directors chose Laura Powers as next year’s editor in chief.
Powers, who currently serves as the senior copy chief for the Emerald, was one of three candidates for the position. The other two were News Editor Jill Aho and former news reporter and designer and current columnist Philip Ossie Bladine. All three candidates presented their ideas and future plans for the Emerald to the board before it deliberated and reached a decision. Board Chairman Mark Watson revealed that the decision was almost unanimous but was very difficult and involved extensive discussion.
“All the candidates stood out for different reasons,” Watson said. “Ossie had many innovative and different ideas, and Jill is such a dynamic and passionate person with a lot of drive. We ultimately chose Laura because of the emphasis she placed on wanting diversity of perspective and of staff. Her attention to detail was outstanding.”
Staff members at the Emerald agreed that Powers was the strongest candidate. “Laura has a good personal relationship with all the writers,” said Ashley Chase, a page designer. “She has good communication skills as well as an understanding of the way everything works. She knows how to do every job.”
Copy Chief and Pulse Associate Editor Matt Sevits thought Powers was exactly what the Emerald needed to balance out its current ups and downs.
“Lately there hasn’t been a lot of consistency,” Sevits said, relating that he felt that the Emerald was reaching for goals higher than it was capable of.
Powers’ goal for next year is indeed to establish a “flexible consistency.” She realizes that the Emerald has “undergone a lot of changes over the past year,” and feels that it is “important that next year has continuity.” She felt she was most qualified for the position because she is “intimately familiar with every facet of the Emerald. The other candidates know a lot about journalism, but I know the most about the Emerald itself.”
Among the board members who reached the decision were faculty members, members of the University’s community at large, representatives from the Emerald itself and an ASUO representative. Current Editor in chief Ryan Knutson and Managing Editor Molly Bedford also provided insight for the board. Knutson admitted the decision was “very difficult,” but he was confident that the board reached the right one.
“Laura brings a lot of seasoned experience to the table. She’s very level-headed and talented, and she can relate to everyone she meets.”
Powers said she will put an emphasis on diversity.
“I want to accurately reflect what’s going on our campus, and to accomplish that we need to bring more minorities into the newsroom and into our stories,” Powers said. “Diversity is crucial to a newspaper setting.”