From the Gutenberg press to Google Docs, the publication process of Stetson University’s The Reporter, Florida’s oldest collegiate publication, has transformed since its genesis as The DeLand Collegiate in 1887. Feasible as it is for Hatters reading this very article to fancy print magazines a fad of the past and imagine staff writers mooring over outdated typewriters – much like “Miss Lizzie Webb,” editor-in-chief of the inaugural 1887 publication, might have – I fear that the modern publication process is shrouded in mystery from Stetson’s student body. Well, we are not in black-and-white Kansas anymore! Let us pull back the Stetson-green curtain, explore the editorial, and peek into The Reporter’s current publication process, shall we?

The Wonderful Wizards of The Reporter

The Reporter’s staff consists of an Executive Editor, Managing Editor, News Editor, Arts and Culture Editor, Copy Editor and staff writers. The Executive Editor (currently Sara Ward, ’27) oversees The Reporter, communicates with Hatter Network and The Reporter staff, works with the Creative Team, pioneers the production of the print magazine, edits, makes executive decisions and writes her own journalistic works. The Managing Editor (currently Reagan Shivers ’26) works diligently with the Executive Editor to ensure that each magazine creates cohesive and professional content. She manages the Section Editors and staff writers and meets with the Creative Team all the while writing her own content. The Reporter employs editors in specific disciplines as well: the Copy Editor (currently Katie Eudy ’27), News Editor (currently De’Vanese Jean-Baptiste ’26) and Arts and Culture Editor (currently Nico Alonso ’26). These editors carefully review the entire staff’s articles – including their own – to verify that the pieces published are factually sound, up-to-date with current events, and represent art and culture with reverence and respect. Staff writers synthesize story ideas to showcase the soul of Stetson University and the DeLand community. It is their duty to investigate, conduct interviews, write and, ultimately, report!

The Reporter’s Creative Team is led by the Creative Director (currently Michelle Marshall, ’26) and an innovative team of photographers and graphic designers. The Creative Director oversees the design process, communicates with the Executive Editor and Managing Editor, makes executive creative decisions and designs pieces herself. It is the Creative Team’s artistic vision that gives each article an eye-catching aesthetic appeal, bringing journalism from traditional Times New Roman font to cutting-edge technicolor. “As the creatives, we bring the story to life and actually come beyond the text to create something a bit more visually appealing than a block of text on the page, right?” said Marshall.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: A Step-by -Step Breakdown of the Publishing Process

The Reporter publishes two to three print editions per semester. The fall semester traditionally features an editorial-style orientation edition to kick off the school year. In the newsroom, where staff members of The Reporter meet weekly, the process in which a magazine is produced is fondly nicknamed the “mag cycle.” Dear readers, I now invite you into the publication process, which, as you will soon discover, you are an integral component of. A mag cycle can be broken down into ten simple steps:

1. Decide on a theme.

Every print edition of The Reporter has an overarching theme, “like consumerism, renaissance, our most recent edition was the theme of comfort,” said Creative Director Michelle Marshall. This theme is established during the first production meeting of the mag cycle. Staff members propose themes they feel are inspirational and relevant to campus and community life. The theme is then voted on by staff members.

1. Scout out stories.

With the theme in mind, The Reporter staff then pitches story ideas and assigns articles to each member. These articles can range anywhere from interviewing a professor about their idiosyncratic Stetson Hat collection to educating readers about how cutting state funding for the arts has impacted the DeLand community – so long as they remain loyal to the theme and are written from a posture of genuine inquiry.

1. Investigate.

Thus begins the quintessential journey of journalism: investigation! Staff members get out on the field to research, interview, poll and scout out the support for their story.

1. Write.

Once the groundwork has been laid, the staff clickety-clacks away at their computer keys and, finally, reports!

1. Edit.

I like to think of the editing process as a sort of creative crucible; only under its heat can the articles be refined into their most precious potential. Each piece undergoes four stages of fiery editing, reviewed by an editor as follows:

1. Section Editor (A piece is assigned to either the News Editor or the Arts and Culture Editor, depending on its content!)
2. Copy Editor (Fact-checking!)
3. Managing Editor (Evaluating language and AP style all the way!)
4. Executive Editor (Adding that extra flair of professionalism, making sure no more edits must be made!)

1. Design.

This is where the Creative Team truly bedazzles The Reporter’s publication process:

1. The Creative Director meets with the Executive Editor and Managing Editor to discuss the magazine’s decided theme and brainstorm how to use visuals to ignite the imaginations of The Reporter’s readers.
2. The Creative Director has the opportunity to read over individual articles and ask questions about what each author has envisioned for their article’s design, be it color theme, pop-culture references or Pinterest boards. She communicates her findings and overall vision with the rest of the Creative Team.
3. The photographers begin by attending a few newsroom meetings and are then paired with writers to create a photo story for each article. These stories should embody the theme of the magazine as a whole and tell the sequential story of a given piece. After the photos are taken, the photographers edit them and pass them on to the Spread and Graphic Designers.
4. The Creative Director assigns articles to the Spread and Graphic Designers according to their passions and creative strengths. The Spread and Graphic Designers format the text and photographs using Adobe InDesign, giving life to the fonts, taglines, colors and vectors buzzing about each page. This is reviewed during a draft day by the Creative Team staff.
5. Finally, the Creative Director compiles the whole magazine by drafting a composite visual layout of magazine content, from front to back and everything sandwiched in between. 

1. Edit (yes, again).

The Executive Editor, Managing Editor, and Creative Director meet for a final magazine approval. They review the print edition page by page, keeping a keen eye for typos and creative consistency and edit accordingly. Once final touches have been made…

1. Print the magazine.

The Creative Director sends off the magazine to be printed at Florida Sun Printing, a full-service printer that has been working with The Reporter for 61 years!

1. Celebrate and distribute the magazine.

Of course, completing a mag cycle occasionally calls for cupcakes and confetti! Now, this is where you come in… The Reporter is written for YOU! Each edition is printed and distributed across the Stetson University campus in stands found in facilities such as the Carlton Union Building, Du-Pont Ball Library, Flagler Hall and Elizabeth Hall, for your reading pleasure. Get to know your university, your peers and professors and your local community. Go forth and read!

1. Start the next magazine!

The publication process of The Reporter is a perennial penning of Stetson University’s history – from the writings of 1887 editor-in-chief Miss Lizzie Webb to the wise words of 2024 Executive Editor Sara Ward, “Everyone has a story that deserves to be told. I am beginning to learn that those stories have a time and a place but if The Reporter is able to supply a sufficient story for someone who wants to show their passion for writing or someone who has ideas for how to feature the Stetson student body, we are the perfect place to do so.”