November 2024
By Jacqueline Cruz Mejia, Assistant Editor
What does it take to transform a school newspaper from a quiet corner of campus to the most talked-about publication? Our new editors-in-chief, Anali Garcia and Fiorela Mora, think they have the answer— reviewing story drafts with a sharp eye and a warm smile. Known for their great intelligence and passion for storytelling, they are ready to lead The Cardinal Post into an exciting new era.
In an interview with Anali Garcia and Fiorella Mora I was able to hear and talk to them about their new plans and steps that they will be taking to make sure that this year Cardinal Post is heard and seen by many.
“What strategies will you use to ensure the school newspaper remains inclusive and represents the diversity of the student body?”
Garcia: “Each student can choose their own story. Each student has a say in their own opinion, in their own stories. So these kids are allowed to communicate and to put out their opinion and their personal ideas out there for free. There’s no wrong or right opinion.”
“How do you plan to utilize digital platforms or social media to expand the newspaper’s reach and influence?”
Garcia: “We do have our own business team, which me and Fio will be talking with. And I would like them to post more interviews, like pictures and these things. And now, since we’re not really a social media school–since we have the Yondrr pouches–we would like to post more, and we’ve decided to come out with the newspaper like an actual hard copy newspaper. We really want to have this out by, like, issue three. Issue three is a thing because, you know, for you have to communicate with each other on how we will get that in the business team also is something that really has the end of say for that.”
Fiorella Mora shares Garcia’s goals but also emphasized the importance of expanding the newspaper’s focus to include more diverse student voices. Her responses to The Cardinal Post’s questions are below.
“What is your vision for the school newspaper this year, and how do you plan to be different from previous editors?”
Mora: “I would like to advance it more, maybe add some new features describing the people who work on the cardinal newspaper, you know, and maybe expand it to podcasts or more videos. So as of right now, I’m not too sure how it worked in the previous years, but I would say I know a lot of people just didn’t read it, so I would like to put it out there, to encourage more people to take a look at the cardinal post.”
“How do you plan to manage the balance between hard news, opinion pieces and more creative events?”
Mora: “I feel like there are definitely a lot of times people want to write the same story. So I feel like we just need to learn to look really quickly to see what we actually need and what is just a want. I would want to expand it to what the audience, as in our school, wants, but not what the writer themselves.”
One of the key responsibilities of the editor-in-chief is maintaining team morale, especially when the pressure of deadlines or lack of breaking news sets in.
“How do you plan to keep the team motivated and disengaged, especially during stressful deadlines or slow new periods?”
Mora: “I would say I would just encourage everybody to do their best in stories. I know sometimes it can get a little boring sometimes, but just having enough creativity to write the stories is what you need. If they need an extension because they are feeling too stressed or like they’re not gonna be able to get it done in time, they should definitely be as strong or near an elite to see if there’s any way that we can put their story draft a bit back.”
Garcia: “I would definitely try to talk with them and talk with strong to see if they need anything, people in journalism can pick their own stories that they’re comfortable with so they’re not comfortable with the story, or if they’re having issues writing the story, or, like, any problems with, you know, an interview or something like that.”
As Garcia and Mora step into their roles at The Cardinal Post, they bring distinct strengths and fresh perspectives to the team. While Anali focuses on giving the Cardina Post a new look and feel, Fiorella is driven by having great stories that both readers and writers will love, making their combined vision a powerful force for the paper’s future.
The Cardinal Post 