Web and social media

Last year, using SNOsites, Arlingtonian introduced its new website towards the end of the school year. As managing editor, I became one of the first staff members responsible for creating, editing and publishing stories on the website. 

With over 30 people on staff this year, space limitations in print required a change in our process. I had to become creative with how our print pages would now be allocated. Rather than treating the website as a secondary outlet, I restructured our brainstorming sessions to consist of dedicated online and social media pitches. To support this, I selected three dedicated website managers and two social media managers. In the past, I found our website and social platforms to be simply reposting content that was already in print. My goal for the manager roles this year was to generate platform specific content. 

Website managers focus on pitching and producing digital stories, maintaining site design and organization, and publishing all print stories online. Social media managers focus on audience engagement, visual storytelling, and promotion through reels, posts, and story updates.

As our website was in its early stages last spring, there were not many systems in place to sustain it. This year, I implemented a spreadsheet tracker that logs pitches, assignments, editing stages, and publication status. While I can monitor progress of online stories, and website managers can view their assignments, this also allows our social media managers to track what stories they can make content and post for our social media.

Example of website tracker sheet I created at the beginning of the school year.

Beyond promotion, our social media managers now produce original reporting specifically for Instagram. Our managers use editing platforms like CapCut, iMovie and Canva to create multimedia stories that prioritize visuals and audience interaction. 

Instagram reel posted on Nov. 24, 2025, built from short interviews with students and staff sharing who they are grateful for.

Instagram reel posted on Dec. 11, 2025, featuring video, photos, and moments captured at the Upper Arlington community tree lighting ceremony.

Instagram reel posted on Jan. 22, 2026, featuring short interviews with students sharing their biggest accomplishments of 2025.