I’ve been editor-in-chief of the Iowa State Daily for a little over a month. Most of the time, I enjoy it — I really love the people I work with, and they are the reason why I continue working. 

My heart swells every time I see my editors meet with their reporters and show them how to be the best writers they can be. My cheeks hurt from smiling when I hear my staff talk about the stories they’re working on — and I can feel their excitement match mine. 

At the same time, some days, being editor-in-chief is harder than others. Those days when sending an email to your staff is nerve-wracking, replying to the never-ending stream of questions is overwhelming and making sure we’re good on content for the week makes my heart beat irregularly. 

I get anxious because I’m supposed to have the answers to every question that comes my way. If I don’t, I need to find one as soon as I can because, at the end of the day, I am responsible for the content that goes out. And sometimes, I’m not always proud of the content I put out. Looking at the Dose, I can think of a million and one things that could be better — if I just had one more interview, this story would be perfect. 

It feels like I’m always behind; I’m following the news instead of reporting it. My mindset is that it’s now or never. If you miss a breaking news story by even a minute, it’s old content. For the most part, that’s true — you have to have a mindset that pushes you to act quickly. But at the same time, I’m a student journalist, and I’m emphasizing the word student. 

I’m still learning how to be a journalist. 

And as I continue leading my staff throughout the summer, I will provide a journal called the Editor’s Note of how each week has been — the ups, the downs and the challenges I’ve faced. I want to bring in a new level of transparency for you all, and I think this is an important step to take. 

Every Friday, I’ll make sure to have another Editor’s Note in the Daily Dose in your Outlook inbox. Until then, stay hydrated and keep your head up!