Fall 2009 media heads chosen

The Media Board at ECU has recently chosen three students to fill leadership positions at three of the university's student media outlets.

Katelyn Crouse was named editor-in-chief of The East Carolinian, Amber Josey was named editor of Rebel 51 and Ashley Glover was named general manager of Expressions.

Each of the positions were chosen by ECU's Media Board and this year all of the positions were posted on the student employment Web site. Each of the applicants was required to interview with the board and a decision was made soon after.

"Its not necessarily that there are real specific qualifications because the point of student media is to give people experience," said Paul Isom, student media advisor and media board member. "At the same time you want someone that's at least familiar with the process."

Crouse, a junior from Haymarket, Va. majoring in communication, has worked recently as an advertising representative in The East Carolinian advertising department. She also served an internship at the Bull Run Observer newspaper and is a member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority.

"I was my high school yearbook editor for three years and I interned at a local newspaper," said Crouse. "I like writing but I love editing and working with creative people."

One challenge Crouse anticipates is entering the editorial staff from an outside position.

"I haven't worked on the editorial staff so I haven't really been in circulation and really been around so I'll have to learn and get to know the writers and their styles," she said. "I feel like not being here and not knowing everyone makes it harder."

The East Carolinian, a 9,000-circulation newspaper entering its 84th year of publication, publishes two days a week during the fall and spring semesters and once a week during the summer.

Josey, a junior from Hickory, N.C. majoring in graphic design, has worked as a designer for Rebel 51 and her art has appeared in the Guild, Illumina and Foundations exhibitions.

Rebel is ECU's undergraduate student-produced literary and art magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, art, photography and music by ECU students. Rebel 50 recently won Columbia Scholastic Press Association's top honor, the Gold Crown.

Glover, from Jacksonville, N.C. and majoring in communication, has served as an ECU Ambassador and as a student representative to SGA from the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center.

Expressions is ECU's minority publication that works to provide a voice to minority groups on campus.

Isom hopes this fall's media heads will bring a fresh outlook to each of their publications.

"I always want every media head to take their publication to the next level; that's what you always hope," Isom said. "As far as specific goals go I want them to win awards and I want them to do good work and be the best at what they are, best newspaper, best magazine, best yearbook, et cetera."

Media heads for Campus 31-TV and Buccaneer yearbook will be selected at the April media board meeting on April 21.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.