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Jane Ripps
Managing Editor, ODYSSEY Media Group
feature content
Between my work as Variety Editor (2023-24) and now Managing Editor, I have had the opportunity to write various in-depth feature articles. From examining safety at school sporting events to community news, long-form writing has allowed me to step into the role of an investigative reporter.
As Managing Editor, I have been able to pass along this passion for reporting on important topics that deserve to stay alive on paper through direct mentorship with underclassmen. This includes conferencing regularly through edits, as well as co-bylining pieces to pass along the knowledge I have curated throughout my four years on staff.
Click on images for the full story.
the unchanged narrative, May 2024
In Feb. 2023, a female student was murdered on the University of Georgia campus--right down the street from my high school--while going on a run. Her death rocked my community and caused a lot of conversation around women's safety to erupt. For our last magazine of the year, I took on the story of investigating women's safety in my school community following her death. I interviewed my city's mayor, police, chief, and female students at my high school to gather as much data and opinions as I could. I even opened a public record in my local government to include statistics on sexual assault allegations to highlight the prevalance of the issue.
ESP for you and me, Nov. 2023
Extra Special People, Inc. is an organization in my community that creates transformative experiences for people with special needs. It was founded in Athens, but is expanding to cities all over the United States. I took on this story to share the impact the program has on participants and their families, which is an extremely person story that rested in my hands. I interviewed the CEO multiple times to collect as much information as I could, and through these in-depth conversations, I told the story of a community that has become a home for participants.
evaluating safety in sports, Nov. 2024
Following an incident at a football game earlier in the season, I partnered up with a sophomore on staff to investigate the safety protocols at my school's sporting events. This required a lot of interviewing and research, such as opening public records at my local government and getting specific information on when certain protocols were instated. Not only did we conduct a lot of serious interviews, including with the Clarke County School District Chief of Police, but it was an amazing mentorship experience.
around the corner, sept. 2023
For my first feature story as Variety Editor, I wanted to challenge my writing skills. "Around the corner" is a stylized story about the murals around my town. I built the piece around the purpose of every murals, which I wove in throughout the piece. This piece was extremely challenging for me to avoid voice-of-god, and I struggled with tying in facts. After some guidance from my adviser, however, I found a way to balance fact with stylization.
gaps between glads, Nov. 2021
My freshman year on staff, I co-bylined a story about the inequalities between male and female athletics at my high school with a senior on staff. I had never interviewed before let alone written a 1200 word investigative news story, but this story laid the groundwork for all of my other work, and kind of taught me everything I know. Once it was published, it also caused a lot of drama and talk among the student body.
combating absences, March 2022
As attendance at my school declined, my original 300-word news brief for our website had to be transformed into a 600-word news story on attendance at my school for our magazine. I had to pivot and conducted immense research on attendance over the past five years and its steady decline to confirm the angle and build a strong story. I was working on a really short deadline, but this piece taught me a lot about in-depth researching and producing a quality story in a short amount of time.
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