Transitions are nothing new to us at Downtown Devil. If the world of media and the city of Phoenix weren’t changing rapidly enough, DD compounds it all by being staffed by students.
Our reporters become our editors, our editors become our leaders and those leaders graduate and take their passions for excellent journalism elsewhere. Our projects change, our slogans change (remember “News for the urban Sun Devil,” anyone?) and earlier this week — finally — our website changed too.
The new DowntownDevil.com is more than just a much-needed move to a modern layout. It’s the headline of a number of changes that we hope will keep Downtown Devil striving toward the goal spelled out in our tagline — being the front page of downtown Phoenix.
Not only does our new homepage help showcase the stellar work of our hardworking photo department, it’s also mobile friendly. Yes, you can finally read our light rail expansion coverage on an actual light rail train.
The editors filling the sections of that newly designed website have changed too. This year we’re welcoming new community, education and politics editors as well as changes in our executive positions.
Former community editor Sarah Jarvis is now Downtown Devil’s News Director and former politics editor Agnel Philip is now Editor-in-Chief. Over the next few months, former community and education editor Sophia Kunthara will transition into DD’s Executive Editor role.
These three have developed into exceptional journalists and leaders over their last three years with our publication. They’ve got an exciting vision for the future of DD, with a lot of intriguing editorial and community projects on the horizon.
In August, we set out to ensure Downtown Devil was sustainable as a publication by recruiting and training our next generation of staff. The publication met that goal and I’m confident that our new staff reporters, editors and leaders will be able to reach the goals they’ve set and those they set in the future.
There may be growing pains, learning pains and plenty of other pains, but DD remains committed to providing quality journalism in innovative ways. To giving the kind of coverage that can only come from immersion in a community as unique and diverse as ours. To being the front page of downtown Phoenix.
So take a look around the redesigned site. Read our coverage, explore our new layout and — as always — don’t hesitate to let us know what you think.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Jayson Chesler
Executive Editor
Contact the columnist at jdchesl@asu.edu
