The Wright County Monitor welcomed a new member to their staff last week.
Jacob Snyder, who started working last Wednesday, said he is excited to begin reporting and eventually take the reins of the Monitor when current editor Matt Voigts leaves this fall to pursue his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham.
“A position here will allow me to not only continue reporting and writing, which I like to do, but it will also provide me with the opportunity to take on more responsibility and have more say in putting the newspaper together,” Snyder said.
Mid-America Publishing Corporation, who owns the Monitor, conducted a local and regional search for potential candidates to fill the position.
Snyder’s resume rose to the top through his previous newspaper experience, strong writing skills, and being a native Iowan, according to Ryan Harvey, who is the publisher of the Monitor.
"I believe Jacob has a very bright future, we are very lucky to find someone of his caliber," he said. "He's a young man who understands what local community journalism is all about. In addition, he's an Iowa boy who understands all aspects of what communities the size of Clarion and the issues facing it are all about as well."
"I expect you'll find him to provide good, insightful stories about Wright County residents and issues," Harvey added. "I encourage you to stop in and introduce yourself to Jacob and find him at the fair in the coming weeks."
Voigts agreed.
“Jacob has solid small town journalism experience from another part of the Midwest and I’m excited to see how he’ll apply it in Wright County.”
Snyder grew up in Carroll, Iowa and graduated from Kuemper Catholic High School in 2005.
He went on to attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha and earn his bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Snyder’s first job out of college was working for Northeast Nebraska News, based in Hartington.
There he reported and wrote on a range of subjects from water quality and fiber optics projects to feature and sports stories.
“I met some wonderful people during my time in Nebraska,” he said. “I also learned a lot about the newspaper business and hope to take and use that knowledge in this new position.”
After two years in the field, Snyder said he is still enjoying as much as he did when his first day at his first “grown-up” job.
And he is looking forward to getting to know the people in this area and encourages anyone who has an interesting story or feature photo idea to approach him about it.
As for the future of the Monitor, Snyder hopes he can continue providing a quality publication for the community.
He also hopes to, using social media outlets and other kinds of platforms, make enhancements to the newspaper.
In his spare time, Snyder enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and meeting and talking to new people.