2008 Woodie Awards
Maryland Media board selects Diamondback editor in chief
Andrew Vanacore
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: News
The Diamondback's governing board last night tapped assistant news editor Steven Overly to become the paper's next editor in chief.
Overly, a sophomore journalism major, joined the paper the summer before his freshman year and has covered almost every major beat at the paper, including police, the city council, state government and university administration. He was promoted to an editing position in January.
The board of Maryland Media Inc. announced last night after its monthly meeting that Overly will succeed editor in chief Kevin Litten.
"Steve's been for a long time one of the top reporters at the paper," Litten said. "I think taking over as editor in chief is a natural progression for him."
Overly will take the reins for The Diamondback as it grapples with the transition to delivering news online as well as in print - a shift newspapers industry-wide are struggling with as readership and print ad revenues decline.
"You've got dwindling resources and are somewhat expected to do more with less," Litten said. "College students have changed the way they read and digest news."
Overly said he will keep up the effort to bolster The Diamondback's multimedia offerings online and has taken suggestions from designers at the paper on changing the look of the print edition.
The paper introduced a redesigned website this semester and added video clips as well as sports and lifestyle blogs.
Overly, of Olney, Md., got his first journalism experience at his high school paper, where he rose to the position of news editor.
He interned last summer at the Daily Record, a business and law publication based in Baltimore, and this summer he will join The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as an intern on the business desk.
"There are very few jobs where you get to learn something every day," Overly said. "I'm the kind of person who always wants to learn more, and this job helps me feed that addiction."
Overly joined The Diamondback in June 2006 as a Maryland Media Inc. scholarship student and has been a fixture in the newsroom since.
"He has a really charismatic personality, and that's ideal for leadership positions," Litten said. "That's going to serve him well."
The board of Maryland Media Inc. also announced that junior journalism major Nina Sears will take over as editor in chief of the Eclipse and sophomore journalism major Daniela Feldman will head the Mitzpeh.
Students Deborah Felsenthal and Javiera Alarcon were re-elected to the board as student members.
vanacoredbk@gmail.com
Overly, a sophomore journalism major, joined the paper the summer before his freshman year and has covered almost every major beat at the paper, including police, the city council, state government and university administration. He was promoted to an editing position in January.
The board of Maryland Media Inc. announced last night after its monthly meeting that Overly will succeed editor in chief Kevin Litten.
"Steve's been for a long time one of the top reporters at the paper," Litten said. "I think taking over as editor in chief is a natural progression for him."
Overly will take the reins for The Diamondback as it grapples with the transition to delivering news online as well as in print - a shift newspapers industry-wide are struggling with as readership and print ad revenues decline.
"You've got dwindling resources and are somewhat expected to do more with less," Litten said. "College students have changed the way they read and digest news."
Overly said he will keep up the effort to bolster The Diamondback's multimedia offerings online and has taken suggestions from designers at the paper on changing the look of the print edition.
The paper introduced a redesigned website this semester and added video clips as well as sports and lifestyle blogs.
Overly, of Olney, Md., got his first journalism experience at his high school paper, where he rose to the position of news editor.
He interned last summer at the Daily Record, a business and law publication based in Baltimore, and this summer he will join The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as an intern on the business desk.
"There are very few jobs where you get to learn something every day," Overly said. "I'm the kind of person who always wants to learn more, and this job helps me feed that addiction."
Overly joined The Diamondback in June 2006 as a Maryland Media Inc. scholarship student and has been a fixture in the newsroom since.
"He has a really charismatic personality, and that's ideal for leadership positions," Litten said. "That's going to serve him well."
The board of Maryland Media Inc. also announced that junior journalism major Nina Sears will take over as editor in chief of the Eclipse and sophomore journalism major Daniela Feldman will head the Mitzpeh.
Students Deborah Felsenthal and Javiera Alarcon were re-elected to the board as student members.
vanacoredbk@gmail.com
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