Derek Saul was unanimously elected to serve as sports editor for The Chronicle’s 115th edition in a department-wide meeting.
The sophomore from Florham Park, N.J. will replace Michael Model, and his term will begin April 24, Duke’s last day of classes for the 2019 spring term.
“Having been named after Derek Jeter, a love for sports was destiny for me,” Saul said. “I am incredibly excited to work with The Chronicle’s staff, and to further develop our multimedia presence.”
In his platform, Saul expressed his desire to expand the sports department’s video content and The Cameron Chronicles podcast, which he currently co-hosts. Additionally, he stressed the need to more adequately integrate audio and video content on The Chronicle’s website.
Another point of emphasis for Saul, currently co-editor of The Blue Zone—The Chronicle’s sports blog—is to instill a more casual tone throughout The Chronicle’s sports coverage.
“Derek has shown tremendous growth during his term as co-Blue Zone editor,” Model said. “His passion for writing and initiatives to increase personality and focus on growing our digital platforms will be essential for The Chronicle’s ability to thrive in the current industry climate. I am looking forward to watching Derek take the next step as a leader and a journalist as he works to put his plans into fruition.”
In his first two years with the department, Saul has primarily covered baseball, football and men’s basketball, and noted that he grew more passionate as a journalist covering the Duke baseball team's historic 2018 season.
“Derek’s talent as a writer was clear from the first story he wrote as a freshman, and I’ve become more and more impressed with his work over the last two years," current senior and Vol. 113 sports editor Hank Tucker said. "He has a distinctive, engaging voice in his writing, and I’m confident his energy and enthusiasm will invigorate the rest of the department under his leadership.”
Saul is pursuing an economics major and a certificate in policy, journalism and media studies. Outside of his academic responsibilities and work for The Chronicle, Saul is a tour guide and member of the club baseball team.
"Getting the opportunity to report on Duke men's basketball has been truly incredible," Saul said. "As a lifelong Knicks fan, covering the team's matchup with Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden was a dream come true, and I look forward to having more of these unforgettable experiences in my next two years with The Chronicle."
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