New Editor Takes Helm at College Magazine

Author: Charlie Goulding

For Middlebury Magazine, the College's award-winning publication, this year has been particularly exciting. This summer the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education awarded the magazine a gold medal, recognizing it as a "model for excellence." Shortly thereafter, Rachael Morton, the magazine's editor for six years and the person largely responsible for the evolution of the magazine into its current highly acclaimed form, stepped down from her position to join The Burlington Free Press.
In September, Matt Jennings took the helm of Middlebury Magazine. Jennings currently has one issue of the publication (Fall 2002) to his credit. The enthusiasm and experience Jennings brings to the magazine make the future of the publication look as bright as its past.
A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Jennings interned at Dartmouth College's Athletics Communications Office before spending eight years as director of publishing at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. The publication Jennings edited while at Sidwell Friends won critical acclaim, providing him with the breadth of experience in the field of academic publications.
Jennings' ties to both academia and magazine publishing extend beyond his professional career, however. Jennings grew up in a town near Washington and Lee, where his father worked as a professor of journalism. "In this sense I feel like the marriage between school and magazine is tailor-made for me," he stated. A self-proclaimed "magazine junky," Jennings' love of periodicals, coupled with his affinity for the educational environment, make the editorship of a college magazine an ideal occupation.
Jennings spoke reverentially of his feelings toward Middlebury Magazine, and of his desire to continue the tradition of excellence which has come to define the publication. "Rachael Morton really established the magazine as a quality publication," Jennings remarked. "I have been aware of Middlebury Magazine for years now, and I have always admired it. I saw it as a model, as something other publications could aspire to."
In particular, Jennings elucidated on the importance of honesty and straightforwardness in a magazine. "I think it's imperative to respect the reader's intellect. Rachael set a standard of journalism here, and she made it so that the magazine could be interesting to absolutely anyone, not just students and alumni." He added, "I think the biggest mistake is to have a magazine that panders to certain people or the organization of which it is a part. I really like how the administration here gives this magazine the freedom to publish as it sees fit. They trust us," he added.
Jennings envisions a twofold responsibility for the magazine. "Our job is to capture the spirit of Middlebury, what it represents, both for students and alumni. We also need to be honest; we don't want to micro-manage the magazine and we don't want to pander to anyone."
Given the strong precedent set by Morton, Jennings acknowledged his need to maintain the magazine's high standards and, perhaps more importantly, the need to continue innovating. "One thing I know is if things stay static, other magazines will quickly catch up, and soon the magazine will be passed in quality by others."
Jennings sees no need to overhaul the magazine's current system or drastically alter the nature of the publication. Most changes he plans to make will be subtle, but expect the essence of the magazine to manifest Jennings' mantra, "Expect the unexpected."
Jennings and Dotty McCarty, who serves as the alumni editor, are the magazine's only two full-time employees. A number of other staff members provide their services on a part-time basis.
Middlebury Magazine is a seasonal publication distributed to 40,000 people worldwide. All living alumni receive the magazine free of charge, as do parents of current students, matriculating Middlebury students, other members of the College community and friends of the College, including other universities.
A few months before each magazine is sent to Lane Press in Burlington for publication, Jennings sits down with his staff to brainstorm the upcoming issue. He divides the content of the magazine into news and features pieces, and together the group amasses potential stories generated internally and from outside suggestions. Eventually, three stories are selected, and Jennings then assigns writing and photographic duties either to his staff or from a set of outside writers and photographers.
Though the process becomes tedious at times, particularly in the two weeks before the magazine is sent piecemeal to the publisher, Jennings maintains an enthusiasm for his work that is readily evident. He recalls that when he and his wife first came to Middlebury to scope out the location, they stayed at the Weybridge Inn. A Middlebury student working at the Inn asked him why he was visiting the area. When Jennings told her he was the new editor of Middlebury Magazine, her face lit up and she exclaimed, "Really? I love that magazine!"
The way in which people regard the magazine, both within the Middlebury community and on a broader level, inspires and challenges Jennings. It is a challenge Jennings hopes to meet, and even exceed.
Jennings and his staff are currently in preparation for the winter 2003 issue of Middlebury Magazine.