Since its move online in 2011, Madison Dodger Online has had six editors-in-chief. Now, as the newspaper settles into its new home and continues to tackle controversial issues, Madison Dodger Online decided to catch up with the editors who helped the publication evolve into its current award-winning form.
2011-2012 Editor: Erin Lennon
MDO: What’s your favorite article posted during your time at Madison Dodger Online?
EL: It wasn’t an article, but I really like the college map we started. When I was Editor in Chief, I couldn’t wait to see my name and my friend’s names go up on the map.
MDO: How did the newspaper change while you were a student at Madison High School?
EL: Before, the newspaper was in print, so my year was the first year that the Madison Dodger Online was the Madison Dodger Online. We had to make a lot of decisions about what the site would look like and other basics. Even the room: we got Mac computers and all that good stuff.
MDO: What’s your favorite memory of Madison Dodger Online?
EL: I really liked gaining experience under a teacher, Mrs. Breheny, who used to write for the New York Times. She worked with us pretty closely and she nominating me for an award that I ended up receiving at the senior award ceremony. I also really enjoyed working with Becca Johnson.
MDO: What was your experience like as editor-in-chief?
EL: It wasn’t as stressful as it might have been because it was a class and we had time in school. Now I’m working at a newspaper separate from school, which takes a lot more time. Madison Dodger Online spurred my interest in what I do in college and outside journalism.
MDO: What advice would you give current writers at MDO?
EL: Interview people. Ask questions, because that’s what journalism is about. It’s a hard industry, and very few people can make it. It’s pessimistic, I know, but it’s true. If journalism is something you love, put your whole effort into it.
MDO: If you could only say one thing to Ms. Bergen (the current journalism adviser) about your time in the program, what would it be?
EL: Thank you! Journalism is a class, but what we did there was something I had on my resume for a long time. She’s a teacher and a supervisor of something her students can point to and say “I did this in high school.”
2012 – 2013 Editors: Lainie Rowland and Rebecca Johnson
MDO: What’s your favorite article posted during your time at Madison Dodger Online?
LR: I don’t have a favorite article.
RJ: I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS!! MY MEMORY IS BAD, I AM SORRY!!
MDO: How did the newspaper change while you were a student at Madison High School?
LR: The newspaper was transformed during my time at Madison. My freshman and sophomore years it was only a print paper, which is the most obvious difference. My junior year, when I joined MDO and we transitioned over to digital, the intention of the staff changed and the trajectory of the paper as a whole veered towards becoming a more content-rich, informative, and compelling reading experience.
RJ: My junior year (2011) was the first year that the newspaper decided to go online. We were still trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and it was hard to get our feet off the ground in the beginning. In the end though, going online helped us reach a broader audience because we could connect with students, parents, teachers, and alumni. We were also able to increase awareness about the Dodger Online because it was so much easier to share than a print newspaper. Many students did not even know we had a newspaper before the Dodger Online. I think that now most people have at least heard of the newspaper, whether or not they choose to read it.
MDO: What’s your favorite memory of Madison Dodger Online?
LR: My favorite MDO memory was getting the opportunity to explore what journalism really entails through engagement with issues like integrity and objectivity; specificity and articulation; and intent and content.
RJ: My favorite memory of the Dodger Online was when we decided to go to the soup kitchen together for the Day of Service. That was the first time I had been to a soup kitchen, and it was nothing like I expected it to be. We wrote an article about our experience, and I liked advocating for such a great cause.
MDO: What was your experience like as editor-in-chief?
LR: My experience as editor-in-chief was definitely a valuable learning experience. Getting to work with Mrs. Bergen and the members of MDO was awesome.
RJ: I really enjoyed being an editor-in-chief, but it was definitely a challenging job. You are essentially responsible for everything that gets posted online. It’s also harder to look at things from an administrative perspective, not a student perspective. Overall though, it was great being a part of such a creative, supportive team. Being an editor really sparked my interest in leadership, and I do not really know where I would be today without my experience at the Dodger Online.
MDO: What advice would you give current writers at MDO?
LR: The advice I would give is that to run with MDO as much as you can. It really is special to have such a platform at your disposal.Run with MDO as much as you can. It’s your unique leverage point to affect and inform MHS. Your potential is limitless.
RJ: The more you put into the Dodger Online, the more you will get out of it. It is nice to choose what you are going to write about, because you don’t always get that kind of freedom in an academic environment. Take advantage of it!
MDO: If you could only say one thing to Ms. Bergen (the current journalism adviser) about your time in the program, what would it be?
LR: I would say “I know you miss me” and “thanks for always pushing.”
RJ: “Thank you.” Ms. Bergen helped me grow so much as a writer and as a person, too. She let me take the reins, but was always there to help me if I needed it. She challenged me in the best way possible. I am so fortunate I got to work with her and really appreciate how much she cares about her students.
2013 – 2014 Editors: Maura Fennelly and Jane Collins
MDO: What’s your favorite article posted during your time at Madison Dodger Online?
MF: Mark Langan’s article on whales.
JC: I was a part of the MDO staff for three years, so it took me a while to figure out what my favorite article was. Honestly, my favorite article would have to be the first one I wrote with Maura Fennelly who was essentially my partner all three years. It was called “Whatever Happened to the High School Dance” and we put so much heart and effort into the piece. We were so proud when we published it.
MDO: How did the newspaper change while you were a student at Madison High School?
MF: I was a first year member on MDO when the paper went fully digital. After the transformation, the paper went from a raw idea to a finished product in just a few weeks. Eventually, we added staff bios, attended conferences that gave us ways to improve the site, wrote a wider array of articles, added tools like the “College Map” and photojournalism projects, and engaged the school to become readers of the paper.
JC: My freshman year, 2010-2011, the Dodger was a print publication. MDO was just a twinkle in Ms. Bergen’s eye. Every few months the print version circulated through the school and everyone would flip through it and ultimately throw it out. Sophomore year, 2011, Ms. Bergen took over as adviser and we went digital. Looking back, I didn’t understand how big of a deal that was, but I’m very proud to have been there for the first three years of MDO. None of us really knew what we were doing, but by the time I graduated we had really hit our stride.
MDO: What’s your favorite memory of Madison Dodger Online?
MF: Painting the mural on the wall over one summer with my sister, Kayla, Becca, Mark, and Mrs. Bergen.
JC: I really can’t think of a favorite memory from MDO. I spent so many days over three years going to that class and most of them have blurred together into one happy memory. The first days back junior and senior year were really exciting though. As were the days when we had to make decisions regarding whether or not to post controversial articles.
MDO: What was your experience like as editor-in-chief?
MF: It was rewarding in many different ways. I learned how to balance being both a writer and leader for a class and school paper. I also understood the responsibility it took to edit every word in every article that went up on the site. Being part of MDO gave me some of my most incredible memories from high school.
JC: My experience as Editor-in-Chief was nothing short of awesome. I was power hungry and fed off the adrenaline rush that came with leading a class. I’m kidding, sort of. My junior year I was “Junior Editor-in-Chief” under Lainie Rowland and Becca Johnson, and I learned so much from working with them. Being Co-Editors-in-Chief with Maura Fennelly senior year was just a blast. Having a leadership position in a group of likeminded people is really enriching. Learning from Ms. Bergen though was the best part of being an Editor-in-Chief. I loved working with her and I miss that daily.
MDO: What advice would you give current writers at MDO?
MF: Write about whatever you want to write about, even if it’s weird or controversial. The best articles are the ones that are written with actual purpose and passion.
JC: My one piece of advice to current reporters is to go with your gut. Don’t be scared of what your friends (or Mr. Levine) are going to think. One of my favorite articles was an Op-Ed piece I wrote last year criticizing the National Honor Society and although Mr. Levine didn’t approve of it, I was incredibly proud of it. Your editors and adviser are there to make sure you don’t ruin the reputation of the paper, so it’s a good time and place to take risks.
MDO: If you could only say one thing to Ms. Bergen (the current journalism adviser) about your time in the program, what would it be?
MF: You’ve definitely made Ms. Breheny proud. Also, you made and continue to make MDO a great community and family. Without you, Jane and I would have had so many spam comments to go through.
JC: I don’t think I can say just one thing to Ms. Bergen about my experience on MDO. Mostly because Ms. Bergen influenced me so much over my four years and I get choked up thinking about it, but I’ll give it a shot. Ms. Bergen, you were hands down the best teacher I’ve ever had, and the lessons you taught me have made me not just a better writer, but a much better person. I can’t imagine having a more fearless leader. You should win Teacher of the Year every year.
2014 – 2015 Editor: Shira Buchsbaum
MDO: What’s your favorite article posted during your time at Madison Dodger Online?
SB: There are so many articles posted on MDO and I review every single one before we post. KB and I agree that we never post anything we feel the newspaper would not be proud of – and we post nearly everything our staff writes, they’re that good. When I first applied to MDO, I wrote about the Slut Walk article that Emily Fritze wrote in Spring 2013. To put it simply, it’s a really good article (“’Slutwalk’ to Raise Awareness” check it out.” ) Even though news articles are not the most popular articles on the site, I’m still really proud of all the news articles we post.
MDO: How did the newspaper change while you were a student at Madison High School?
SB: MDO became MDO my freshman year – that’s when the newspaper switched to the online format. I had never experienced the print version: I think I was so terrified my freshman year to ask about the newspaper, even though I was really interested in it. I still read MDO and that’s a testament to the accessibility of the online newspaper – it doesn’t cost much, it’s easy to access, it can be updated often, and it’s interactive: we can have live polls and slideshows with great photos and videos. There’s merit in print newspapers as well – I’ve read a print newspaper every day since I was a little kid – but I think there’s a difference between a flimsy few pages and a thick, substantial paper released daily. I prefer the latter.
We’re doing a few new things this year, including the bi-monthly staff picks, which are news articles we feel are relevant or interesting for the community, and monthly editorials, written by the staff members rather than editors. We’re also working towards more student spotlight articles, which will hopefully involve a greater portion of the student body in our readership.
MDO: What’s your favorite memory of Madison Dodger Online?
SB: So many! Day of Service 2014 Audrey Rowland and I got to drive around and interview a ton of MHS students at their work sites. We ended the day on the floor of A2, crying over hunger and desperately wanting to go home. It was the week before prom and I’m pretty sure Quinn Hurley and I did an ab workout on the floor even though neither of us were going to it.
MDO: What was your experience like as editor-in-chief?
SB: This is my favorite class with my favorite teacher. MDO has changed my view of MHS for the better: I used to feel very alienated at MHS and being on MDO staff has made me feel more welcome and even love this school. EiC is a dream come true.
MDO: What advice would you give current writers at MDO?
SB: Write everything down. You never know when a good idea will hit you. All of my article ideas are saved on my phone and sent to my email daily because I never know when I’ll write them. Also, for my sanity, get your articles in on time.
MDO: If you could only say one thing to Ms. Bergen (the current journalism adviser) about your time in the program, what would it be?
SB: What’s your snapchat? (Just kidding, I already know.)
In all seriousness, thank you for being a brilliant advisor and letting me follow my convictions…and guiding me towards better ones. You’ve been the greatest mentor and I look forward to finally friending you on Facebook upon graduation.
Keep on reading Madison Dodger online to see what exciting changes are in store for the publication!