The newspaper class is perceived by many San Luis Obispo high school students as just another “easy A” elective. Most outsiders are unaware of the amount of work, creativity, and management skills that go into producing the school paper. Expressions interviewed their content Editor-In-Chief, senior Emma Jane Haas, to get a glimpse into the production process behind the school paper and understand what prompted her to take on such a large responsibility.

Expressions: What initially interested you about journalism?

Emma Jane Haas: I really enjoy writing, so I originally took the class so that I would have another opportunity to write, besides my English classes.

Expressions: How does being a reporter compare to being the Editor in Chief?

Haas: Being a reporter is fun for a different reason than being an Editor is. As a reporter you get to interview students and write a lot more, but as an editor, you get to do more of the “behind-the-scenes” editing and designing work. I really like the design aspect that comes with being an editor.

Expressions: What is the most rewarding part about producing the paper? The most challenging?

Haas: The most rewarding part is definitely walking around after distributing the papers and seeing my peers reading and looking at the content that I have made. It is exciting to have a platform to share my work, and the work of my fellow editors and reporters. The most challenging part is finding a balance between being bossy and being a respectful ‘“authority figure”.

Expressions: How has being an Editor-in-Chief of Expressions influenced your perception of media/journalism as a whole?

Haas: I have really come to understand how many different perspectives there can be of one situation. The reporter/author of the article will often try to spin the story a certain way, with their tone, or headline, or even the facts and statistics they choose to present to readers.