Running the Student Press: Meet the EICs
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)’s campus is home to stellar student publications: from independent student newspapers, to podcasts, to online and print content producers and zines that cover a variety of niches. At the helm of each of these publications are J-School students, putting their skills to use in real-world applications that sharpen their abilities and expand their horizons.
We sat down with the EICs of The Eyeopener, CanCulture, The Toronto Abnormal School and Her Campus at Toronto MU to learn more about how they lead a student press.
Joshua Chang: The Eyeopener
The Eyeopener (external link) has been TMU’s independent student newspaper since 1967 when it was started by an RTA student, Tom Thorne. In the years since its foundation, the paper has had 58 EICs — with Joshua Chang, a 2024 graduate of the Journalism program, as the latest leader of the newsroom.
Chang, who began J-School right as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person learning, said he did not contribute to The Eyeopener until he was in his third-year. He enjoyed the process of writing for the various sections and by his fourth-year, took on the mantle of Fun & Satire editor and online editor as well.
“I wasn't just working to edit, I wasn't just working to be in the office. I wanted to make an impact with the work that we were putting out,” Chang said.
Though he had what he called a “late path” to writing at The Eyeopener, Chang had spent hours educating himself on the role of an EIC before he ran for the position and was successfully elected.
Now as the EIC, Chang works all days of the week to put out the paper, which has a weekly online rotation and a bi-weekly print rotation of stories, smoothly running. From approving pitches to planning covers and being the final pair of eyes to read every story the paper puts out, Chang said his goal is to ensure the continued success of the publication.
His simultaneously favourite but also the most challenging part of the job is the “unpredictability” or the chances to try new things on the job.
“When it's done well, it really is a hit. And it's a hit of inspiration for everybody else,” Chang said. “But at the same time, that can also take a left turn where we don't necessarily meet our standards and we make mistakes as we do as journalists. And there can be a lot of discouragement that comes from that and delegating that as well as part of my responsibility.”
Chang said that the skills he learned in J-School 100 per cent equipped him with the right tools for the job of an EIC. In particular, he credited Professor Shari Okeke’s JRN 306: Radio and Podcast Workshop for setting him up for success.
“That class stands out to me the most as the one that really taught me so much in a small period of time,” Chang said, from pitching to determining the structure and sensitivity of a story and working with a team.
For J-Schoolers looking to climb their way up to the EIC position, Chang has some words of advice:
“Know your values but also what's very important is being open to critique and learning,” he said. He added that students should not be afraid of getting involved as early as possible, to put their skills into practice right away.
Kinza Zafar & John Vo: CanCulture
CanCulture (external link) , an online magazine at TMU since 2011, has a mission statement of highlighting the best of Canadian arts and culture. This year’s co-editors-in-chief, Kinza Zafar and John Vo, continue that mission.
For Zafar and Vo, both final-year journalism students, becoming EIC of CanCulture was a full-circle moment.
Zafar recalls that CanCulture was the very first publication she contributed to in her first-year of J-School. She went on to become the features editor in her second year and then worked at other student publications in her third year before returning to CanCulture.
Vo was the film editor for CanCulture in his first year — an accomplishment he said is somewhat unheard of. In his second year, he became fashion editor, before moving to managing editor in his third year and finally, levelling up to EIC.
When the position opened after the previous EIC graduated from the journalism program, Zafar reached out to Vo, hoping to collaborate on the position. Vo said it was a great way to handle the workload that comes with the EIC job.
“I applaud every editor-in-chief who has done this on their own in their final year during a very stressful time,” Vo said. “But I think for both of our sakes and just because I knew we already had some similar interests, we wanted to bring [them] to the publication together.”
Zafar said that the CanCulture team is the biggest it has ever been. With 20 team members and around 100 contributors, the co-EICs put in around 15 hours of work a week to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
“I think this publication is probably the gateway into journalism for a lot of people, this is an opportunity where they can showcase what they're passionate about,” Vo said.
To handle their split responsibilities between EIC, school and their other commitments, Zafar and Vo plan out schedules to stay on track.
“You have to really make sure that you're meeting your own needs,” Zafar said. “You know, that whole thing about filling your own cup before you can fill someone else's cup.”
They said being in this position helps them to round out the skills they learn in J-School with real-world applications. It also means a lot to them to be shaping student journalism.
Their favourite part of the job is fostering writers’ passions and the spirit of the independent, student-run publication. However, a more challenging part is conflict resolution and learning how to sometimes let people down when the circumstances call for it.
“I think it's important to note that none of us are getting paid, this is something we're doing because we're interested in it. We're passionate about it. We're trying to build our skills,” Zafar said.
To students hoping to one day become EIC, Vo would remind them that “comparison is a killer” and that each young journalist will have their own story to success. Zafar said that it’s not just a flashy title which should be the end goal; the goal should be responsible journalism with an impact.
Ella Miller: The Toronto Abnormal School
The Toronto Abnormal School (external link, opens in new window) , founded in 2024 by nine journalism students at TMU, is the university’s official satire publication. Its very first editor-in-chief, Ella Miller, has the responsibility of leading the publication and also laying solid foundations for the future of the publication.
Miller, a third-year journalism student, said the publication came about when she and some friends realized TMU didn’t have its own dedicated satire paper. A short while after the publication came to be, Miller was voted in as EIC and now oversees the output of content, and supports the managing editors in producing print publications.
“I just love the fact that my friends and I are able to produce something that I consider such high quality and what I consider deserve serves like a vital purpose to the school environment,” Miller said.
Her least favourite part of the job is grappling with the fact that comedy can be subjective.
“Someone can submit something that they probably think is really funny and really good. And it's up to me to let them down gently,” she said. “Not saying that they're not funny, it's just not coming through in this instance because comedy is something that is so personal.”
Miller is among the many student EICs who juggle school at the same time as extracurricular writing engagements. To deal with that, Miller gives equal importance to her job as an EIC — just as she would block out time for an essay, she blocks out the time to organize her spreadsheets and schedule meetings.
“This is not just something I'm doing with my friends. We're legitimately trying to build something here,” Miller said.
To her, being the EIC of a publication has been great practice. When her class took a trip to The Walrus’ headquarters in JRN 302: Magazine Editing Workshop, she spoke to the staff there about the Abnormal School.
For aspiring EICs, Miller said to put yourself out there and meet new people and get to know professors at the university who have the skills to help you grow.
“If you want to do something, if you really believe that you can do it, just go out and do it,” Miller said. “No one else is going to do that for you.”
Vanessa Tiberio: Her Campus at Toronto MU
Her Campus is an American-based online publication for college women, with chapters across North America. At TMU, fourth-year journalism student Vanessa Tiberio has been at the helm for two years.
Tiberio began her journey with Her Campus at Toronto MU (external link, opens in new window) in her first-year of journalism school, as a writer and then she applied to be a junior editor in her second-year, before being promoted to senior editor by the Winter semester, due to an internal shuffle. By her third year, she was appointed to the EIC position.
Her Campus at Toronto MU has “elite” chapter status, meaning the size and activity of the publication is in the top 5 per cent for all publications under the Her Campus umbrella. To keep that status, Tiberio has a range of responsibilities including reporting to HQ (the name for the American organization), editing every story, using SEO to market the published work and liaising with her team at large.
Tiberio said the job gives her the opportunity to interact with a diverse array of people, but
“Sometimes, I just can’t do it all. And that's the only thing that I wish I could do. But, we're getting better with it,” Tiberio said of the workload. Still, she loves the busyness of the role and the experience that comes with it.
“I feel like I've actually obtained more skills from being the EIC than I have from [other experiences],” she said.
She said her biggest piece of advice to students who want to become EIC one day is just to go after what feels right.
“Something about it stuck out to me [about Her Campus at Toronto MU] from my first year when I was just learning about the different publications on campus,” she said. Trusting that feeling brought her to where she is today.
“You won't get a position unless you apply … unless you make yourself known,” she said. “So if you're scared to apply, just do it.”