Liz Opsitnik
Executive Editor at U.S. News & World Report
What was your path to becoming an editor?
I earned a magazine journalism degree from Kent State University in Ohio where we also learned newspaper, TV, radio and online journalism, as well as editing, photography, videography, and other essential skills we’d need to become journalists. I wrote for a business newspaper and the larger daily newspaper in my hometown in Ohio after graduation, then I wrote and edited stories about franchisees for the magazines for a franchise company in Florida. After that role, I by chance fell into an editor job for a newly launched consumer auto finance site. I knew nothing about cars, so there was a big learning curve about car shopping, car loans and leases, credit scores, negotiating with the dealer and the entire car buying process. My experience covering the consumer auto beat lead me to U.S. News in 2011, where I held editor roles on the Autos team and now on the Consumer Advice team, where we cover Money, Health, and Education.
How and when did you learn to write? Do you think writing can be taught?
I first learned to write in elementary school, writing short stories and poems. Journalistically, I wrote for my high school newspaper and then learned all the ins and outs of good writing in college, whether it was for a timely news article or a long-form magazine feature. Yes, I think writing can be taught, especially sentence and story structure, using vivid language to catch readers’ attention, and telling a story that flows well and is memorable.
Who are your biggest inspirations within the space?
The New York Times has always been an inspiration to me as a publication that produces top-notch journalism and compelling feature stories. I get my daily national news in the morning from George Stephanopoulos; I'm always in awe of his interviewing when he really holds the subject’s feet to the fire. In the evening, I watch Lester Holt and appreciate his calm delivery of often serious news.
What is your brand’s mission? Who are you seeking to impact?
U.S. News & World Report is a media company dedicated to helping citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions. We publish independent reporting, rankings, data journalism and advice that has earned the trust of our readers and users over our 87-year history. U.S. News’ journalism provides its users and readers with in-depth information to assist them in making decisions on a wide range of topics, namely: Education, Health, Money, News, Cars, Travel and Consumer Products and Services.
What is the most challenging aspect of maintaining your particular brand’s voice?
Ensuring that all the content we create, regardless of the topic or vertical, delivers on our mission of helping readers make important life decisions. We often take complex information about topics like Medicare plans, stocks and mutual funds, FHA loans and college financial aid, and turn it into helpful, approachable advice that avoids jargon and is easy to understand.
How has COVID affected your editorial strategy? What is something you’ve learned from this new normal?
On the Consumer Advice team, we had to quickly pivot from more of an evergreen content approach to publishing more timely advice pieces based off current events. We quickly put out advice about boosting your immunity, keeping loved ones safe in a nursing home, how the virus is impacting college students, transitioning to distance learning, protecting your investments and retirement account, steps to take if you lose your job and what to do if you can’t pay your bills. We’ve learned that consumers are more eager than ever to seek trusted advice that impacts their finances, education and health, and we think that will continue until the pandemic is contained and the economy gets back to normal.
What do you think will be the greater impact on journalism?
I think readers will appreciate journalists more than ever before. Even those who aren’t fans of the media are turning to local and national news outlets to get important information that can protect them and their family from the virus and help them in a time of financial need in this tough economy. As journalists, we’re covering likely the biggest story of our careers, which is something we’ll remember forever.
What feedback have you gotten from your readers that is new/different than before?
When this all started, our readers were coming to us for advice for things they might have never had to research before, like telehealth visits, coronavirus symptoms and preventive measures, social distancing best practices, online grocery and prescription delivery, working from home, stimulus checks, collecting unemployment, applying for food stamps, what to do with investments, virtual learning for college students and finding a job in a tough economy. A couple months in, we’re seeing some virus fatigue with our readers as they start to look toward getting things in their life back to a new normal and are less interested in constant virus coverage. They are seeking fun things to do safely at home with their family, new hobbies and skills, home improvement projects and how to vacation safely sometime soon.
What are you currently reading?
Because my days are filled with editing content that is generally serious and can be heavy at times, I stick to lighter reading during my down time. I’m reading a fun book called The Knockoff, which is about a magazine editor who is navigating a new normal in a digital age and battling her former assistant, who is gunning for her job. I also read several print magazines and email newsletters on a variety of topics.
How important is it to have mentors during this new journalistic landscape? Can you describe your ideal mentor relationship?
It’s incredibly important to have mentors right now as we navigate balancing the long hours and emotionally difficult content we’re writing and editing with the personal effect the coronavirus is having on our family and friends, and the stress we’re all under in worrying how to stay safe and keep our family safe. In my ideal mentor relationship, I can ask my mentor advice on doing my job to the best of my ability during times of heightened stress, and seek advice on managing with empathy and leading during this difficult time.
Knowing that news breaks on social media, whether it's a new government policy or the latest celeb pregnancy announcement, how does your team use social media to report on the story?
The Consumer Advice team doesn’t cover breaking news, but we do use social media to find sources to interview for stories in Health, Money and Education. Our reporters might use social media to search for medical and economic experts to give advice on building immunity, safely undergoing a surgery right now, buying stocks and protecting your 401(k) balance. Other times, they use it to find people to interview who can give a first-hand account of what it’s like to work as an ICU nurse during this pandemic, for example. It’s a great way for the reporters to reach out to a lot of people quickly for their stories. Across U.S. News, our audience development team follows the conversations on social media and makes decisions about what content to post on our own social media accounts based on what’s trending. They also share insights about trending topics on social media with our editorial team to identify potential story ideas.