Reliability, camaraderie mark Tuck's leadership

Ryan Tuck is many things, but shy isn’t one of them.

Still a high school student at the time, the now-junior journalism and political science major from Walkersville, Md., walked into The Daily Tar Heel office and asked if he could freelance for the paper.

Needless to say, Tuck wasn’t hired on the spot. But during the fall of his freshman year, he quickly nabbed a position as a staff writer on the City Desk.

Tuck took on the role of assistant city editor during the fall of his sophomore year and city editor this year, but what he really wants now is to be the DTH’s next editor.

“I’ve always loved pressure,” said Tuck, an athlete for most of his life and sports coach who enjoys having people rely on him.

He said his dependability will help him as editor because people will be able to trust him.

“I feel like I can keep my composure and am in general a reliable person,” he said. “When I say something will get done, it’s going to get done.”

As editor, Tuck said he will transform the paper to serve more as a direct link between “the town and gown.”

Meghan Davis, a city staff writer, said Tuck’s time on the desk qualifies him to tackle this goal.

“He has a lot of connections that can be a positive bridge between the University and the town,” she said.

Davis also said Tuck’s attention to detail makes him an excellent teacher. “Whenever I think I’m done with a story, he always has 10 more questions that would make the story better and make the reporting more precise.”

Those who work alongside Tuck see his leadership style as being effective without being overbearing. Ted Strong, an assistant city editor, said Tuck has a natural “aura of leadership.”

“He doesn’t have to think about managing people, it just happens that he manages them,” he said.

Terry Headlee, executive editor of The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail, said he was impressed at how well Tuck fit in when he interned at the paper last summer.

“He just had a very professional demeanor about him,” he said. “He’s probably one of the few individuals we’d hire right out of college.”

Tuck said it’s important for writers to know one another outside as well as inside the newsroom, one of the reasons he held get-togethers for his writers during football season.

“The newsroom dynamic with him at the helm I think would be one where everybody gets along very well,” said Adam Rhew, a City Desk staff writer.

Tuck said he likes the variety and the fast-paced nature of his job.

“I love coming in and not knowing what I’m going to cover,” he said. “Breaking news is exhilarating.”

Tuck has done other activities on campus, but he said his time at the DTH has “by far been my life.”

“Although it’s an amazingly tiring job, it’s worth it to me in the end because I have a tangible impact,” he said. “I will be remembered. I feel like that’s so much more rewarding.”

Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.