Jenny Surane is the sole candidate in The Daily Tar Heel's race for editor

Jenny Surane has a long history of seeing her ideas in print, but now she’s ready to take them beyond the page.

Surane, The Daily Tar Heel’s city editor, is running unopposed for editor-in-chief and developing the paper’s digital presence is one of her main focuses.

She said she wants to see the paper thrive in a transitioning news environment while maintaining its long-held standard of excellence — a standard that she wants to extend to the paper’s digital platforms, like its mobile app and website.

“I think that a lot of people at print organizations are terrified of the word ‘digital,’” Surane said. “They think that it means that the print side is going to die.”

Excellent digital platforms can only serve to make the print product better, she said.

“The digital platform will serve to break news and get people information quickly when they want it, and the print platform will really analyze the issues going on and identify trends and put out the long-term investigations that we are capable of doing,” she said.

Surane, who has been on the paper since the beginning of her freshman year, also plans to help make the newsroom a welcoming and interesting environment for its staffers.

“I think as an editor-in-chief, dealing with over 200 people, it is almost impossible to form a relationship with everyone, but I think (Surane) could do it,” university editor Amanda Albright said.

Albright said Surane played a big role in her own success as a desk editor by constantly offering help and support.

“She is a problem-solver, whether it is for a story or something personal,” she said.

Chris Roush, one of Surane’s journalism professors and mentors, said he thinks she would be an excellent editor-in-chief.

“She has a lot of energy and a lot of ideas,” Roush said. “She is also one of the nicest people. She is never mean, she always tries to find a consensus and she’s always trying to bring people together.”

S urane, a business journalism major from Cornelius, said the business school classes that she takes will help her lead the paper.

“We are taking those classes to learn how to better cover these businesses, but I actually think that those classes are going to help me run this business,” Surane said.

Even though Surane is the only candidate in the running, she will still go through the standard, thorough selection process, said Erica Perel, the paper’s newsroom adviser.

Surane said she has been listening to people’s ideas to ensure that those involved in The Daily Tar Heel next year will learn and grow.

“I think my platform might scare a lot of people, but I love this paper, and I wouldn’t ever do anything that would hurt it.”

state@dailytarheel.com