Sabine Martin named as DI 2023-24 executive editor

Martin, who currently serves as the paper’s managing editor, was selected by Student Publications Inc. to take over the role next academic year on Monday night.

The+Daily+Iowans+2023-24+executive+editor%2C+Sabine+Martin%2C+poses+for+a+portrait+on+Monday%2C+March+6%2C+2022.+

Ayrton Breckenridge

The Daily Iowan’s 2023-24 executive editor, Sabine Martin, poses for a portrait on Monday, March 6, 2022.

Archie Wagner, News Reporter


Sabine Martin was selected Monday night to serve as The Daily Iowan’s executive editor for the 2023-24 academic year.

Martin, the DI’s current managing editor, is a third-year University of Iowa student majoring in journalism and mass communication and international studies with a minor in French. She has worked at the DI since her freshman year and previously served as a news editor during summer 2021 and the 2021-22 school year.

Outside of the DI, Martin also interned as a news reporter with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in summer 2022. At the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She also serves on the Student Advisory Board at the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Additionally, Martin won a Harrison Skip Investigative Reporting Award from the Iowa Newspaper Association for her coverage of charges against former UI professor John Muriello, who is set to plead guilty to possession of child pornography and meth distribution.

Martin said she applied for the position because she feels prepared to run a newsroom of over 100 student journalists, given her experience in management and editing.

“I really care about The Daily Iowan and its success, and I have some goals that I would love to achieve to help The Daily Iowan take more strides,” Martin said.

Going into the position, Martin said she has three main goals. One is to improve the reach of the DI’s website by increasing the output of stories and generally bolstering the DI’s online presence.

“Another goal is creating more multimedia stories, so working with DITV staff and Daily Iowan print and web staff to create multimedia packages,” she said.

Martin’s third goal is to increase the DI’s sustainability when it comes to the yearly succession of leadership, she said.

“I think that’s really important just because we’re a student-run publication that we need to be able to pass on the work that was done from the year before,” Martin said.

Hannah Pinski, the DI’s current executive editor, said she’s excited for Martin to take on the position.

“She’s really stepped up as a managing editor, not just in terms of basic responsibilities such as reading stories, helping me with strategies for coverage, but she’s also taking time to get to know the news reporters,” Pinski said.

Taking time to work with individual sections is an important skill for fostering a community at the DI, Pinski said.

“I think Sabine is going to do a really good job of that,” she said.

Student Publications Inc., a board comprised of UI students, faculty, staff and alumni, interviewed and selected Martin Monday.

Patrick Johnson, the chair of the Student Publications Inc. board and a UI doctoral student and graduate instructor, said the board is pleased and he is very impressed by Martin and her background.

“She’s got this really wonderful management style that is really going to propel The Daily Iowan to a place of pure growth, like really being able to identify the needs and moving forward,” Johnson said. “I think she’s also going to find ways to make people who are voiceless kind of find their voice again.”

DI Publisher Jason Brummond said he looks forward to working with Martin next year given her experience and the ideas she will bring to the position.

“Sabine is a talented journalist and a strong leader. She’s ready to take on this new role, and I’m excited to work with her,” Brummond said.

Martin said she feels honored to be the DI’s 2023-24 executive editor and is looking forward to putting out new and interesting content, especially with the Iowa caucuses coming up next year.

“I’m just so excited to create amazing journalism next year, take on and create different projects and enterprise stories, and really push the boundaries of where the DI is currently,” she said.