Smith joined Texas Monthly in 1991 as a senior editor, having held editorial positions at Self, Mediaweek, Business Month and Special Report. On July 1 of this year, after 19 years as editor, Gregory Curtis retired and made Smith the third editor in Texas Monthly history. Since taking the job little more than three months ago, Smith already has begun making changes in the style and content of the magazine, which he tells students is a necessity for survival in the industry. His biggest hurdles as editor, according to Smith, is connecting old and new Texas, competing with magazines that have a much broader audience, and remaining true to quality writing and reporting. Smith attributes much of the success he has had as a journalist to his time at Medill.
Peck chairs the magazine program.
Connections he made through his classes also helped him along the way. Lauren Fath, a junior in Medill's undergraduate magazine program, agreed strongly with Smith on this topic. Smith, who received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., encouraged students to start in smaller cities before working in major metropolitan areas. If you want to compete with a million people for the attention of a few, go to New York. Confidence and guts are also essential to making a mark in the magazine profession.