Martin '89 takes helm after Harayda's short stint

The Princeton Alumni Weekly saw a wealth of changes this past fall, welcoming two editors-in-chief and transferring administrative responsibility for the publication to the University's Alumni Council.

After only four issues at the helm of the PAW, Janice Harayda left her position as editor-in-chief of the publication in early November, University and magazine officials said Nov. 8.

Harayda, who was hired July 1 after J.I. Merritt '66 left to pursue freelance writing and editing, was the first alumni weekly editor who did not hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from Princeton.

The publication released a statement explaining that Harayda "is no longer serving . . . because of differences between her and the board regarding the management of the magazine."

Efforts to gain a better understanding of what transpired between Harayda's hiring last summer and departure only four issues into her tenure were rebuffed by more than a dozen PAW and University officials who either refused to discuss the matter or did not return calls for comment.

As a result, the reasons for her departure remain unanswered by PAW officials. They have declined to state whether Harayda was dismissed as editor or simply chose to step down.

Following Harayda's departure, Jane Chapman Martin '89 took over as editor of the alumni magazine on Feb. 1. "I have been eyeing this job since I started working at alumni magazines because I am a Princeton graduate," Martin, a former sports editor for The Daily Princetonian, said Dec. 16 from her home in Basking Ridge.

She said the controversy over the departure of Harayda did not concern her. However, Martin said she hopes to implement some changes with her new position.

"I would like to see a redesign, maybe by the fall of 2000," Martin said. "I'd also like to see the magazine take a friendlier tone and be more campus-centric to give alumni a feel of what it's like to be on campus."

Long a publication run independently of the University, the PAW also decided recently to transfer administrative responsibility for its publication to the University's Alumni Council this summer, raising concerns about the editorial freedom of the magazine.

The decision stemmed from concerns that as a separate organization, the magazine was unable to take full advantage of the University's resources, Vice President for Public Affairs Robert Durkee '69 said.

University trustee Brent Henry '69 — who chaired the review committee that recommended the change — said in a University statement the move will not compromise the magazine's editorial independence.

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Durkee echoed Henry's sentiment, noting that it "wouldn't serve anyone" for the PAW to become a public relations mouthpiece of the University. "No one wants to see the magazine lose any of its vitality," he said.

Martin said though she thinks the connection to the Alumni Council will be positive for the magazine, preserving editorial independence is a concern.

"I feel fairly confident that our editorial freedom will not be compromised because of this change," said Martin. "We're not going to become a softball magazine because of this."