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Check out the Stevens Point Journal, where Lisa Nellessen-Lara is the managing editor. 

For more on Lisa's background, check out this story. 

Newspaper editor embraces journalism early in life

Listen to an audio version of this story.

For Lisa Nellessen-Lara, writing hasn’t been a job so much as a way of life. 

As the managing editor of the Stevens Point Journal, Nellessen-Lara has always had her heart set on being a news reporter. 

“I always knew that I wanted to be a journalist.”

When Nellessen-Lara first started her work as a “reporter,” she would write reports about her brothers’ bad behavior and turn them into her parents.  Although this is a great way to gain experience as a reporter, it always helps to have a little extra education. Nellessen-Lara attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, though she graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in communication. 

Once Nellessen-Lara was working in the journalism field, her early mentors helped her to push herself to her full potential. 

“Tom Berger inspired me to take it to the next level and become an editor.”

All through her career, Nellessen-Lara has been very particular in the field of journalism in which she wanted to work.

“No TV or radio; it had to be print.” 

Although Nellessen-Lara is an editor, her job does not only involve editing the work of others.  She and the other editors work together to create the overall voice and direction of the newspaper that will serve the community.  This part of the process determines the areas, issues, and the audience that is most value to the community.

Along with being an educated journalist, Nellessen-Lara also brings a Native perspective on news to the table.  As a Cherokee woman, Nellessen-Lara has been able to recognize the value of having a diverse staff.  She also encourages her staff to take extra effort to cover diverse audiences appropriately.  Because Nellessen-Lara is in a higher position, she will sometimes hear staff members make assumptions and generalizations about minorities.        

“As an editor, I will hear staff members say ‘(minorities) wouldn’t want that’ or ‘do that’ or ‘care about that.’ Those assumptions that some reporters make about people of color are just really frustrating.” 

Along with being the managing editor of the Stevens Point Journal, Nellessen-Lara has also taken on another project.  In this past year, Nellessen-Lara has started a youth newspaper.  She meets weekly with junior high and high school students who have aspirations to become journalists.

“It’s just reinvigorating to be around these kids who have so much passion and obviously love what they do.”

Not only is Nellessen-Lara passionate about journalism, she is also passionate about her family.  She has five brothers and sisters, and is an aunt many times over.  She herself has one son, Eduardo, while the rest of her siblings each have about four children.   

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