Farzad Mashhood, current Daily Bruin sports editor, was appointed editor in chief for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Mashhood, a third-year sociology and philosophy student, was selected by the UCLA Communications Board Tuesday night after the closest election of the position in recent memory.
“My goals are to make the Daily Bruin a forum on campus and a bigger presence, to encourage a social discourse, and a higher level of discourse at that, and engage the community more,” Mashhood said.
Matthew Stevens, former Daily Bruin assistant sports editor, elected to withdraw from the final interview with the Communications Board despite receiving The Bruin staff endorsement on Friday by a narrow margin of two votes. Usually, the candidate who receives the staff endorsement is approved by the Communications Board, which oversees Student Media publications, including the Daily Bruin.
“I think Farzad is going to do an excellent job as the next editor in chief of the Daily Bruin; he’s an outstanding manager and an extremely hard worker, and one of the most likable people I know,” Stevens, a third-year English student, said.
Jeremy Cogan, chair of the election board, said though Mashhood was the only candidate the board was considering, he would not have received the unanimous vote if the board was not sure of his abilities.
Mashhood, who has avidly covered men’s and women’s volleyball for the past three years, joined the Daily Bruin fall quarter of his first year.
Central to his goals is continuing to adapt to an evolving industry by integrating online and print content and increasing the collaboration among the multimedia sections of the paper.
“This past year, the Daily Bruin has made some strides to build the foundation for a better online product, and I want to continue taking steps to change with the changing field of journalism,” Mashhood said.
Arvli Ward, director of Student Media and ex-officio of the Communications Board, said the Daily Bruin now has to compete with online news sources that have not always been present in the community.
“The Daily Bruin has got a lot of challenges, just like all newspapers do,” Ward said. “I think Farzad has the ideas and energy to take that on.”
Known at the office for his energy and enthusiasm, Mashhood said he hopes to foster a community within the office similar to the one he found his first year on staff.
“I fell in love with this paper and the staff. It became a community for me and a place where I can hone my talents and see how I can use my capabilities to help others in whatever way,” he said, adding that he wants to serve the paper in the highest regard.
Alene Tchekmedyian, the current editor in chief, said Mashhood is one of the most enthusiastic people she knows.
“I remember when he got into a biking accident in the beginning of the year and lost his front teeth. I told him to stay away from the office, and he was back a day later,” she said, adding that he said he couldn’t stay away because he loved his job so much.
“I think that’s a testament to his dedication,” Tchekmedyian said.
She added that The Bruin has struggled with convergence between different types of media in the past, and Mashhood’s plan to implement collaborative reporting teams is a great idea.
Tchekmedyian will remain the editor in chief until Mashhood takes over for Graduation Issue, the final issue of this academic year.
“I’m not the best writer, I’m not the best this, I’m not the best that, but I am good at a lot of other things and I have a lot of energy, and that’s how I try and make the Sports section the best it can possibly be,” he said. “I want to take the attitude of being a service to the community throughout the Daily Bruin.”