Sam Hoff appointed as 2015-2016 editor in chief of Daily Bruin

The UCLA Communications Board appointed Assistant News Editor Sam Hoff as the 2015-2016 editor in chief of the Daily Bruin student newspaper in a meeting Tuesday night.

The appointment followed a staff hearing on Thursday, in which staff members voted to endorse Hoff as the next editor in chief from a pool of three candidates.

The Communications Board oversees the Student Media department by providing it with training, resources and financial management. It also makes the final decision on the editor-in-chief position of The Bruin each year.

Kevin Truong, a News senior staff writer and former assistant Opinion editor, and Brendan Hornbostel, Arts and Entertainment editor and a Copy contributor, also applied for the position.

Hoff, a third-year geography and environmental studies student, said he has had many memorable moments during his years with The Bruin, but in particular he recalled spending his first night as a crime reporter patrolling the outskirts of a celebrity birthday party on campus and witnessing a live arrest.

In November 2013, he asked to join a university police officer on his nighttime rounds to become familiar with the local cops. He later served as The Bruin’s lead crime reporter and then as editor of the Westwood and crime beat.

In his application, Hoff said he thinks the paper is rapidly losing relevance in the age of bite-sized content providers such as BuzzFeed. To combat this, he said he wants to prepare the paper for long-term success rather than focusing just on daily production.

“In these past few years, Daily Bruin and Student Media as a whole have been losing money,” Hoff said. “It’s disheartening to see that, especially (with) how everyone in the office every day sees how important the newspaper is and how crucial it is as a campus service.”

Some of his goals for next year include focusing more on investigative journalism and long-term stories, cutting production costs and getting the paper to newsstands earlier.

“Everyone wants to know what’s going on around them,” Hoff said, when describing his interest in breaking news. “I looked at it as a kind of public service – helping people know what’s going on, knowing when there’s public safety issues.”

Hoff has also been a member of the Graphics section since May, producing news and sports visuals to accompany stories. He first joined The Bruin as an intern in winter 2013.

Hoff’s mother, Becky Hoff, recalled how hard Hoff worked at the Bellport High School Clipper before coming to UCLA.

“I think it’s a great thing. When he was in high school, he worked very hard with their newspaper,” she said. “Sam has great morals. I think he’s very compassionate.”

Hoff will succeed current Editor-in-Chief Andrew Erickson, who graduated from UCLA last quarter with a degree in business economics.

Erickson said Hoff, as an editor, has embraced his personal background in crime coverage but also helped produce pieces on local trends, such as a story on Westwood pizza parlors that ran earlier this year. He also said Hoff will face a problem past editors in chief have also encountered: increasing The Bruin’s digital standing.

“As print revenues – advertising revenues – continue to fall, that digital importance will become greater,” Erickson said. “That’s ultimately a problem for student media: finding a way to increase our digital prominence while monetizing.”

UCLA Student Media Director Arvli Ward said the board was searching for candidates who have dealt with challenges faced by news organizations today, such as declining print readership and falling revenue. The Bruin editor in chief is tasked with bringing thoughtful, professional coverage of the events, people and ideas at UCLA, he said.

Following the appointment, Hossain Albgal, chair of the Communications Board and a fifth-year communication studies student, said he would be elated if the three applicants work together next year to contribute their ideas to the paper.

“I’m happy for Sam. Without a doubt, the Daily Bruin is in good hands,” Albgal said.

Hoff will begin the hiring process for next year’s staff this week.