The Daily Bruin Editor-In-Chief: A New Perspective

By: Sarin Kodchian
Bruinsrk17@ucla.edu

“Everything happens for a reason…”- words that have inspired and encouraged a most accomplished young woman whom most of us have heard about, but may have never gotten to know. I was lucky enough to interview her, and I must admit, that I felt as though I was in the presence of someone significant, someone whose name you’ll be hearing years from now for doing one great thing or another.

Alene Tchekmedyian is more than just your typical college student; she is the first ever female Armenian Editor-In-Chief for The Daily Bruin at UCLA. As a fourth year Sociology major at UCLA, she has accomplished more in a budding career, than most have in their prime. Born and raised in Orange County, this California native is not only active in the Armenian community, but is an impressive young journalist whose accomplishments and potential are indicative of a very bright future.

Documenting, scrapbooking, and keeping journals have helped record Tchekmedyian’s thoughts and ideas since childhood; and her camera has been her trademark. She likes to re-read old journal entries, and unlike those of us who cringe at the thoughts scribbled in our diaries years ago, Tchekmedyian enjoys reliving how she felt and the reasons that caused her to feel as such, just like a story. She believes that that is where her passion for journalism comes from… being able to capture a moment in time, recording it in order to relive it at a later time, and share the experience with others.

There was no newspaper in Tchekmedyian’s high school, but that didn’t deter her from becoming yearbook editor instead. One of the key reasons she came to UCLA was to be a part of The Daily Bruin and to begin transforming her aspirations into bonafide realities. The ambitious undergrad began working for The Daily Bruin during the fall quarter of her freshman year as an intern in the Online Department. By spring, she was Assistant Online Editor. Tchekmedyian then worked as the Director of New Media until the UCLA Communication Board confirmed her position as the next Editor-In-Chief for 2009-2010 school year.

The Daily Bruin is one of the top five newspapers in circulation in Los Angeles and has been recognized as one of the best daily collegiate newspapers in the nation. As Editor-In-Chief, Tchekmedyian will be managing a staff of about 400 and overseeing the News, Sports, Arts & Entertainment, and Viewpoint sections along with the production sections of design, photo, copy, online DB Television, and the paper’s video section. For the upcoming year, she hopes to perfect an online production cycle to meet the demand for immediate access to information, with reporters writing stories throughout the day and the website being updated constantly instead of the day after. A top priority is to make the Daily Bruin the first source of news about the UCLA campus. For next year, the paper will be focusing on UCLA events that effect students such as the ongoing fee increases and budget cuts.

A more interactive site would also serve to benefit the print edition, as online popularity would dictate what goes to print in more detail. Her experience as the Online Assistant-Editor and Director of Media heightened her interests in the evolving role of media in news coverage today. Paper newspapers are suffering and a more multimedia-oriented, interactive site could attract more readers, and thus advertisers. Journalism is changing, and her experience and initiative have well-equipped her to meet the demands that face print media.

Aside from her experience in production, the new Editor-In-Chief also wrote articles for The Daily Bruin, many in the News section and also the Arts & Entertainment section’s Theatre & Arts page.

In 2007, while visiting Armenia with a church youth group, she sought out and landed an internship with ArmeniaNow.com. She’s also done freelance writing with The Armenian Reporter and interned with the Los Angeles Times. In 2008, Alene won an associated collegiate press award for Best Interactive Element for an audio slideshow series. Last year, she traveled across the state visiting UC campuses for an online multimedia project, looking at students’ involvement in the November elections. Next year, Tchekmedyian’s plans also include applying to graduate schools in Journalism.