Staff Q&As: Meet editorial assistant Susan Mafnas
To help you get to know our newsroom staff a bit better, a series of question-and-answer posts with each journalist will run on Mondays. This morning, meet editorial assistant Susan Mafnas. She mans the email inbox for news@ydr.com and compiles some of the listings that appear in the Weekly Record, among other duties. You might have also read her posts on No Sweat, York.
Name: Susan Mafnas
Lives in: Manchester Township
Hometown: Clearfield, Pa.
Position at the YDR: Editorial Assistant
Years with the YDR: 11 years
Graduated from: Maryland Medical Secretarial School
With a: Medical secretary diploma
Twitter: @weeklyrecord
Email: smafnas@ydr.com
Whatever you’d like to tell us about yourself: I’m married to my wonderful husband John of 40 years, have three beautiful daughters and one fantastic son-in-law, and an adorable West Highland Terrier named Winston. I have a passion for fitness by participating at my Fit-N-Slim class twice a week. My husband and I enjoy biking, camping, going to the movies, listening to music and attending country music concerts — and some rock too — we saw the Eagles three times.
1. What made you want to become an editorial assistant? It was a dream come true for me to contribute to the publication of the news. Best job I ever had.
2. How do you see journalism changing? Journalism has definitely changed for me over the past 11 years. The news is much more than a printed copy now. We are all engaged in some form of multimedia (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) in order to get the news out to the public quickly.
3. What do you like most about your job? I feel great when I can interact and help someone get their news published. The least? The thing I like least about my job is working in a cold office.
4. It’s 9:30 a.m. on a day off. What are you doing? Either cleaning something and watching QVC or shopping.
5. What’s been your favorite project or story recently? The most compelling story that brought true journalism in perspective for me was “An Unexpected Journey,” published Dec. 30 in the York Sunday News. Why? Our own York Daily Record journalists share their own personal encounters while reporting at Sandy Hook, Conn.
6. The drink that’s on your desk right now is: Water.
7. Your favorite journalism-related blog you read or Twitter feed you follow: The No Sweat York! blog
8. What’s your favorite movie? Les Miserables — hands down.
9. What’s your favorite place in York County? Central Market
10. What’s one piece of newsroom jargon that had to be explained to you? Probably all of them.
Last week, we ran a Q&A with politics reporter Ed Mahon. To read all of the staff Q&A interviews we’ve done so far, click on the “Staff Q&As” under “About us” at the top of the homepage.