Podcast: What Does an Editor Look for in a Writer?

July 13, 2018
By Kelsey Litchfield, The Ag Comm Network Podcast Host This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Greg Horstmeier of DTN/The Progressive Farmer. We discuss everything from his first job to now being editor-in-chief and how he hires the right team. Greg has packed in so much tangible advice for us in this episode that I can’t believe I’m giving it away for free! Here’s five takeaways that I learned from our conversation.
  1. You’re always being interviewed. Whether you are a young or seasoned journalist, there is always someone evaluating you. Show up and be prepared.
  2. Get as much reporting experience as possible. Start early, make connections, and grow your portfolio.
  3. To hire a team full of reporters, Greg advises to hire people with different strengths and perspectives. Each person should bring something different to the table. Then, you will grow and learn from them.
  4. Writing is the foundation to being a versatile communicator. In this digital age, we are expected to be a jack of all trades. If you can write, this skill will help when you produce video, create social media content, etc.
  5. Stay inquisitive and get out amongst the people, farmers, etc. You never know when a story will present itself.
I guarantee you will come out of this episode inspired and ready to apply Greg’s advice to your own career. Thank you again to Greg for being our guest and thank you to all of you who tune in! You can still catch the live video on the AAEA Facebook page. Or listen to the audio version via iTunes or SoundCloud. Leave us a rating and review on iTunes; it helps other people find us. We are always taking suggestions on topics and potential guests. Feel free to get ahold of me – Kelsey Litchfield at kelsey.litchfield@gmail.com. Also, give us a follow on social media. I’d love to connect with you! I will also be at Ag Media Summit in August. Please introduce yourself as I’d love to connect with our listeners. Stay tuned next month for our next episode.

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