Mackenzie Manley

When were you at The Northerner?

2015-2018.

When did you graduate? Major?

May 2018. Double major in Journalism & English.

What did you do at The Northerner?

I worked in several roles — first as a street team member and reporter. I filled the role of news editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief. Each role had unique responsibilities, but throughout my time at The Northerner, I wrote a variety of stories — from features to profiles to breaking news — while editing other students’ work. 

What has your career been like since graduating?

I’ve been able to do some freelance work in copy editing and writing and am currently wrapping up my first year as the arts & culture editor at CityBeat. 

What’s your current job?

Arts and Culture Editor at Cincinnati CityBeat. 

How did The Northerner help you start your career?

If I hadn’t worked on the paper, I don’t think I would be as strong of a writer/editor as I am now and I also likely wouldn’t have gotten an internship at CityBeat. It undoubtedly opened doors to opportunities and helped me hone my skill set.

What’s something you miss, or don’t miss, about The Northerner?

I miss the newsroom camaraderie! There was something so special about working on a college paper. There’s editorial freedom to make your paper what you want it to be. Getting to layout the issue from week to week with other staff members and figure out what makes the most sense to run — and how to run it — is what I look back on the most fondly.

If your industry is journalism, how is it similar to The Northerner? 

It’s fairly similar! CityBeat is a small editorial staff like The Northerner. Also similar is the space to be experimental and creative. I feel fortunate to work at a paper that’s receptive to ideas that might seem risky or that fall within niche topics.

Since I’m covering Greater Cincinnati as a whole, there’s so much more to consider content-wise than the scale of a college campus; that’s the biggest difference. 

What is a piece of advice for current Northerner staff?

Keep in contact with the connections you make in college — be it teachers, internship advisors or fellow Northerner staff. 

Twitter: @mack__manley

Read her full profile here.