AL.com editors Ashley Remkus and Ruth Serven Smith have been named among Editor & Publisher’s annual list of top 25 under 35 news professionals around the nation.
This year the 140-year-old magazine, which focuses on the news publishing industry, expanded its annual list to 27. “There were so many deserving nominees this year that we stretched our 25 to include two more,” the magazine noted.
“In some way, it showcases our future — one that’s inspired, passionate and innovative — reinvigorated by fresh ideas and talent,” according to the magazine.
Remkus, 30, is editor of AL.com’s local investigative team. A graduate of the University of North Alabama, she is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Her work also has been recognized by the George Polk Awards, the Sidney Hillman Foundation, the National Headliner Awards, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Online News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Alabama Press Association. Remkus also appeared in State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith, a 2022 Netflix documentary that tells “the harrowing story of a woman trying to use Alabama’s stand-your-ground law as a defense after killing a man she says brutally attacked her.”
When asked by the magazine what advice she has for other young news professionals, Remkus said “Know and serve your audience — the people whose lives you can impact — rather than focusing on the loudest voices online. Be willing to adapt. Mediums ebb and flow, new tools emerge, audiences migrate and business models shift. But the foundation — solid reporting — remains.”
Serven Smith, 29, is editor of AL.com’s Education Lab (EdLab) and several staff and audience initiatives. She serves on Alabama Media Group’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Serven Smith was a 2022 member of the Online News Association’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator. Before joining AL.com, she was an editor and reporter in Charlottesville, Virginia.
When asked by the magazine what she believes is the crucial thing news publications can do to counter misinformation and increase trust in media, Serven Smith said journalists have to be accurate. “We must only publish what we know to be true. We must always seek language that is precise and accurate. And while I think it’s important to be aware of misinformation on a broad, national scale, in reality, most journalists need to spend less time looking at Trump’s tweets and more time addressing misinformation locally. Did that city councilman really say that? Who is on the ballot this year? What does this term mean? Who is reporting on this issue on the ground? Building trust with individuals and local audiences goes a long way.”