From President Obama’s historical election to the Phillies’ World Series win, it has been a big news year for the staff at The Temple News. For their solid work, the editorial staff earned several awards during the 2008-09 school year, including the 2008 Associated Collegiate Press Online Pacemaker award, a prestigious national honor given to a college newspaper for its Web site and a Best College Newspaper Web Site Espy award from Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek magazines.

Now, as several members of the editorial staff graduate and move on to cover stories outside of Temple, the Temple Times caught up with these next generation journalists to take a look back and ahead at the future of the business.

“The seniors on staff at The Temple News are a big part of why it has maintained its reputation as one of the best college newspapers in the country. I feel so fortunate to have worked with them,” student media program director John Di Carlo said.

How have the changes in the media affected your plans for the future? Will you continue to pursue a career in journalism?

We’ve definitely felt the effects of the changes in journalism. Many of us are broadcast majors in positions that have been (historically) reserved for straight journalism students. We know that we have to learn everything from copyediting to photography to prepare us for the changes in the business. Some of us are considering going to graduate school later, but I think we all really want to get out there and get started.

Chris Stover, Editor in Chief
Bachelors of Arts in Broadcast Journalism

How have you had to change the way you think of your career due to the current job market?

A lot of us aren’t letting the unemployment rate or the changes in journalism stop us. Those who want it bad enough will make it happen. Some student journalists are considering what they can do independently and creating their own media. I’ve created my own news website that I hope will be profitable. If you have a thick skin and you’re really prepared for the business, you’ll be okay.

Shannon McDonald, Managing Editor
Bachelor of Arts in Magazine Journalism

You guys covered some pretty interesting events this year. What was your favorite story for 2009?

Philadelphia is the perfect training ground for a journalist. There were too many great stories to name. We covered the presidential race and the inauguration, the Phillies win and a lot of really compelling student stories. My personal favorite was being able to use my press pass to get in and cover Obama.

LeAnne Matlach, News Editor
Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism

What will you miss the most about being part of The Temple News team?

I’ll miss being the last one out the door on production night. We made a lot of changes to The Temple News online this year and it takes a while to upload the paper. I would sometimes have to work into Tuesday morning. I won’t really miss losing sleep, but I will miss the experience.

Dave Isaac, Online Editor
Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism

What have you learned from your time on staff?

Patience. Between stories coming in against deadline, computers crashing, lost e-mails and everything else that could possibly happen, I’ve learned to take each day as it comes and really build my ability to deal with stress.

Brittany Diggs, Chief Copy Editor
Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism

What was the overall experience like this year?

We all worked really hard this year and we all have a lot to be proud of. From the reporters in the field to the photographers, the copy editors and writers, more than 400 hours of manpower goes into publishing The Temple News. We could be out doing something else; we all choose to be here because it’s what we love. Our experiences this year are irreplaceable.

Chris Stover

What is your advice for the new Temple News staff?

Don’t be afraid to be original and try something different. There’s no reason for the new staff to feel married to the changes we made at the paper this year. My advice is to be open to change and create a paper that you can be proud of, something that reflects the journalists on your team.

Dave Isaac

Other graduating members of The Temple News staff include :Todd Orodenker, sports editor, BA, magazine journalism; Anthony Stipa, assistant sports editor, BTMM; Brendan McHugh, business manager, business; Andrea Caldarise, designer, BA, painting; Julia Wilkinson, photo editor, photojournalism.