By Samantha Bernt University of Nebraska-Lincoln The Boston Marathon bombing was one of the most shocking events to happen in the nation. Jennifer Peter, an editor at The Boston Globe, helped cover the event and learned the importance of relying on credible sources to give accurate information. Peter had 12 years of reporting experience before becoming an editor at the Globe in 2004. She is now the managing editor at the Globe. “Covering the Boston bombings and the aftermath was very exhausting and gratifying,” Peter said in a phone interview. “It helped me realize how important our paper is to people.” The bombing took place on April 15, 2013. Three people were killed and about 260 injured. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted in the bombings and sentenced to death. His brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a suspect, died in a shootout after the bombing when Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ran him over. Peter said that during the Boston Marathon bombing a lot of people were tweeting about developments. News organizations were getting details wrong, and the Globe posted an incorrect story that a suspect was in custody, Peter said. CNN and other news organizations also incorrectly reported that a suspect was in custody. “Any time there is a big story the media tends to make mistakes by trusting anonymous sources,” Peter said. Four days after the bombing, there was speculation that the Tsarnaev brothers had been located in Watertown, Massachusetts, and that they were throwing bombs out of their car, prompting a gun fight with police. Peter said the Globe didn’t know if the Marathon bombing was connected to the Watertown shootout, and editors were on the fence about posting about it. She said another editor had an unnamed, trustworthy source that confirmed it, so they ended up writing a story that linked the two events. “I was the first one to report it on Twitter,” Peter said. “It proved to be a good decision." Peter said that social media is changing journalism in lots of ways. She said the Globe pushes stories to social media so it reaches more people. They can't just rely on readers to check the website periodically. She also said that reporters use Twitter to live tweet court proceedings when cameras aren’t allowed so the public knows what is happening. Peter has also learned to be cautious on social media. “There are pitfalls where reporters have expressed too much opinion on a subject,” Peter said. “We need to be cautious because social media is evolving all the time.” Peter said her time as a reporter prepared her for her role as an editor. She leans on that experience when making tough news judgment calls. She also thinks it is important for editors to spend time in the trenches to know what it’s like to land a story. “I think reporters make the best editors,” Peter said. “They know the steps needed to make the story, and it helps to know that to be able to counsel your reporters to do the same.” As managing editor, Peter is second in charge of the newsroom at the Globe. She helps decide what the paper covers, how they cover it, what they put online and what goes on the front page. She also helps with management decisions, personnel issues and new hires. Her work day starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5:30 p.m. She starts with a meeting discussing breaking news that happened overnight, then goes to a meeting with all of the departments. They discuss the stories they are pursuing and preparing to post, the front page and centerpiece of the paper. Peter then edits stories after each section editor thinks it's ready. Peter goes back and forth between the editors and reporters throughout the editing process. Her day ends with a final meeting planning for the next day. Although Peter has made her way up in the field of journalism, it was not always the profession she saw herself in. “I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted to do after college,” Peter said. “I thought maybe a lawyer, but I didn’t have a huge burning desire to do anything.” All of that changed when Peter's uncle suggested that she try journalism since she liked to write. Peter received a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Amherst College and then went to Syracuse University where she received a master’s degree in communication. Peter had limited experience in the field until her time at Syracuse University. But, Peter had more clips by the time she was 21 than most people at 25 because of all the reporting she did. Peter said she clawed her way to jobs until she got somewhere she liked. She made her way to the Globe in 2004 as editor of a regional edition called Globe North. In 2006, Peter became the State House editor followed by city editor and then metro editor. Peter secured the managing editor position for The Boston Globe after seven years as the metro editor. She made her way up from a small paper with a circulation of only 11,000, to the Globe, which has a circulation of about 245,000. “It’s good to start at small newspapers and learn along the way as you work your way up,” Peter said. “Practice accuracy and be a careful and responsible reporter.” Peters said she enjoys being an editor and helping shape superb reporters into even better ones. “The most important role of an editor is making it possible for reporters to produce kick-ass stories by giving them the confidence and support they need,” Peter said. “We make their story as sharp and as readable as it can be.”
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A note about the content: This site showcases the final projects of University of Nebraska-Lincoln editing students. Each semester, students pick a journalist or communications professional to profile. This is their work.
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