DM Appoints New Editor, Farewells Founder Emma Shortt

Nicholas Baum
Volume 3, Issue 1, (Originally Published on Monday 4 March 2013)
 
Dean Edwards, 26, today unveils the first issue of De Minimis for 2013, his first as Editor.
 
Edwards, who worked as a writer for De Minimis in 2012 and has worked in newspapers at a school, university and professional level, was elected to the position by De Minimis staff in October of last year. He replaces Emma Shortt, 25, the inaugural editor of the revived student newspaper, who has returned to Canada having completed her JD in just two years.
 
Shortt worked tirelessly from late in 2011 to establish a community newspaper for the Melbourne Law School. The original De Minimis ran as a weekly publication in various forms from 1948 − 1976. In the first edition of the newspaper last year, Shortt outlined her purpose as being ‘to inform students of the goings-on at the Melbourne Law School, including weekly events, perhaps a gossip column, ... study tips, ... and opinion pieces on anything and everything’.
 
Asked this week about her experiences editing the paper last year, Shortt described the interest and support from fellow students as ‘amazing’, but warned the 2013 team to be aware of deadlines for assignments, which made putting a volunteer newspaper together very difficult. She congratulated Edwards on his appointment, saying that she hoped his ‘experience in publishing can give the paper a stronger direction and maturity’.
 
Edwards wrote for De Minimis throughout 2012, including interviews with faculty members and spotlights on key events at the law school. He credits Shortt not just for her initiative but also her hard work managing the newspaper. ‘We at De Minimis are indebted to Emma’s vision and hard work’, he said.
 
He described his goals for 2013 as to continue the task begun last year, to get more people involved, and ‘produce better, edgier content that our readers will love’.
 
Retiring staff writer Bronwen Ewens said Shortt was ‘the ideal editor’, giving writers free rein, support and understanding, and obtaining generous funding from the Graduate Students Association. Columnist Charles Hopkins, 23, who is also stepping back from the newspaper this year to give other students opportunities, praised Shortt’s courage in pursuing the newspaper’s revival, and her selflessness in assembling a team and allowing them to contribute their own ideas and voices.
 
Nicholas Baum