A few weeks ago, my Odyssey team and I got the unexpected and disheartening news that our managing editor was no longer working with the company. In short, my writers lost their manager, and I, as editor-in-chief, lost a valuable coach. Unfortunately, dozens of Odyssey teams across the country had the same issue thrust upon them.
While the creators and editors understand the necessity of downsizing due to unprecedented company growth, we are all suffering setbacks because of it.
I started writing for Odyssey almost a year ago when a chapter first opened at my university; when our editor-in-chief had to step down a few months ago, our ME at the time asked me if I would consider taking on the position. Let me tell you, accepting the offer was one of the most rewarding and exciting choices I have made during my college career so far. By learning tips of the trade from my manager and fellow EICs across the country, I've grown in my writing, editing, social media, interviewing, trend-predicting, time-release, and overall journalism skills. It thrills me to bring new writers onto the team, watch them grow in their writing ability, and see their well-crafted pieces climb in popularity and get shared all over Facebook. Whether or not I ever end up working in journalism in the future, this job of mine has invaluably shaped me; I wouldn't trade the experience. However, recently, due to the shocking company changes, I find that my creators, my fellow EICs, and myself are all struggling to enjoy our positions the same way we used to. I think I'm not alone when I say that I have occasionally thought, "is this still a worthwhile thing to take part in?"
Disclaimer: It is worthwhile. My team is still growing and new pieces are being written. But enough beating around the bush: Here's why we all want the old Odyssey back.
1. The MEs aren't the same.
I'm sure that the Odyssey is still working on how to delegate the change in responsibility, but we miss cluster calls. We miss weekly highlights popping up in our inboxes. We miss giddily (or fearfully) viewing the release of the EIC scoreboard. All of these components provided incentive, excitement and inspiration. Because our ME was dedicated and involved, we knew how to be proactive and generate success. Now, cluster calls are non-existent, GroupMe is dead, and our overall view numbers, at least for my team, are dwindling. We need coaching, and we miss it.
2. There's less community.
Part of the appeal in being an EIC is the community of editors across the country. I always looked forward to the weekly cluster calls where we got together to discuss problems, form resolutions, and get writing ideas from people of different backgrounds, skill levels, and geographic location.
3. Articles aren't getting posted.
Normally, articles are written during the week, edited by EICs on the weekend, and posted the following Monday by our ME. However. because we don't really know who our ME is, and due to the lack of communication in the form of emails, cluster calls, and GroupMe chats, we are no longer sure when articles will get posted. Editors and creators alike are frustrated; we pour a lot of time and energy into work, and we do it for fun! If there is pay involved, it is incentive-based. However, it is difficult to reach large enough audience margins and receive that pay if we have no coaching from the company.
I wouldn't trade my time with the Odyssey for anything, and I'm a proud EIC. At the same time, there is no denying that the company is not what it used to be, and all of us are scratching our heads in confused anticipation. We miss the old Odyssey, and we won't let this great platform decline in productivity without doing what we do best: voicing our opinions through articles.
