Take a look at the online version of The Spectator, the award-winning Web site Jonathan Gneiser designed. 

Go the the online version of the Marshfield News-Herald, where Gneiser was hired as a features writer. 

Read a story Jonathan Gneiser wrote about a controversial Board of Regents decision.

Learn more about Native American journalists by reading Jonathan Gneiser's stories on the Native News Web site. 

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'Newspaper brat' finds his calling in print journalism

Jonathan Gneiser has completed four summer reporting  internships and is in his eighth semester on the staff of The Spectator, the UW-Eau Claire student newspaper.  (Photo by Mike Dorsher)

Growing up as a self-described “newspaper brat,” Jonathan Gneiser was far from interested in the journalism world. His parents owned a weekly newspaper in Randolph, Wis., and Gneiser got sick of classmates asking him about his dad’s sometimes controversial column, or what would be published about their family members.

His childhood was dominated by newspaper life. He used lead type as building blocks, played with a waxing machine and stole snacks from copy editors. He cut his head open after he ran into a photo enlarger. Piles of mailbags served as a cushion to jump into, and his sister smashed his finger in a stapler at the newspaper’s office. 

His parents sold the newspaper when Gneiser was in the eighth grade, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that his curiosity about the newspaper industry started to grow. He already was interested in creative writing, and he said his parents’ absence from the business gave him the freedom to explore journalism on his own. Gneiser said he valued independence, and didn’t want anyone to assume he followed in his parents’ footsteps.

So he took a journalism class and went on to join the staff of the school’s newspaper. Since then, his interest has continued to grow. Gneiser, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, plans to graduate May 18 with a major in print journalism and a minor in Web graphic design.

This is Gneiser’s eighth semester on the staff of The Spectator, the twice-weekly student newspaper of UW-Eau Claire. He is the editor of the lifestyles section, called Details, and is responsible for coming up with story ideas and designing the pages in his section.

“I own this little section,” he said. “That’s all I have.”

Gneiser is more accustomed to a heavier load of responsibility at The Spectator. Other Spectator job titles Gneiser has held are editor in chief, news editor, copy editor, staff writer, editorial editor, managing editor, and online and graphics editor.

Serving as editor in chief for a semester was a lot of work and a lot of responsibility, but he said he misses having input in administrative decisions. One of the biggest accomplishments of his time leading the newspaper was the official launch of The Spectator’s online version. Gneiser had to learn about operating the site with the online editor.

When his term as editor in chief was over, he became online editor and could spend more time re-designing the site to make it truly The Spectator’s. He spent two days designing a new logo, a task made easier by his graphic design classes.

“I think that’s the biggest improvement to the site,” he said. “That’s what readers see first.”

Gneiser’s hard work paid off when the online version of The Spectator won a Pacemaker, a prestigious award given by the Associated Collegiate Press that recognizes the top college publications in the country. After less than one year online, The Spectator was the only Wisconsin newspaper to earn this distinction, beating daily publications such as The Badger-Herald at UW-Madison and more established online student papers.

“I’m really proud that we beat out all the newspapers in the state,” Gneiser said.  

Features of the site that Gneiser helped get added include mp3s to accompany music reviews, extra pictures, links to relevant Web sites and breaking news that can’t wait for the print version.

Gneiser’s journalism experience isn’t limited to The Spectator. He completed three summer internships at the Waushara Argus, a weekly newspaper in Wautoma, Wis. Last summer he interned for the Leader-Telegram, a daily newspaper in Eau Claire. Gneiser worked in the newspaper’s Menomonie bureau, which is about 20 minutes west of Eau Claire.

He said he liked the deadlines that come with work at a daily newspaper, but missed the freedom to do a broad range of jobs that came with working at a weekly newspaper.

As for leaving the college atmosphere and entering the real world, Gneiser said he is excited for the future. Gneiser was hired by the Marshfield News-Herald as a features reporter, and starts his job June 3. He hopes to end up in an editor position at a newspaper at some point in his career. 

“I think I’ll end up doing a variety of jobs within newspapers because I like doing so many different things,” Gneiser said. “Eventually I hope to end up in an administrative position where I’ll have some say in the direction of a newspaper.”