The Student Publications Committee re-elected Ronnie Turner editor in chief of The Daily Cougar for the Spring 2010 semester Thursday.
Turner was the only applicant for the position and is already looking to make changes.
‘We are still looking at different things we want to do with the Web site,’ Turner said. ‘We haven’t been able to put up our videos that we do every week.’
MtvU’s College Media Network hosts The Daily Cougar’s Web site, but the contract to host the daily paper’s online content will end at the end of the fall semester. Turner said he wants to improve the University paper by creating more online content that the editorial staff could easily upload themselves and save money by changing pay rates.
‘Most importantly, it will save The Daily Cougar money,’ Turner said. ‘We’re in a recession now, and every penny counts.’
The changes to the budget that Turner proposes would return the pay format to a one-day pay rate for editors, with split-pay rates for days on which multiple editors work.
Turner said he also plans to improve the paper’s daily productivity by making deadlines a top priority and should announce his new managing editor Monday or Tuesday.
Formerly the managing editor himself, Turner planned on running for editor in chief of The Daily Cougar for the Spring 2010 semester after writing for the paper for five years.
The managing editor and the editor in chief of the paper share similar responsibilities, but the editor in chief serves as the head of the paper and is the person held responsible for content and management.
Turner, who has a full plate between attending classes, working at the Houston Chronicle and as editor in chief of The Daily Cougar, said he would have few, if any, problems with the workload. He’ said his managing editor will remove some of his workload and speed up productivity.
Turner also said he would groom his managing editor to become editor in chief when he leaves.
Turner is double majoring in journalism and history and covers college sports part-time for the Houston Chronicle.
