By Erin Casey
Few can claim that they served as editor of Assumption’s student newspaper Le Provocateur and in the same role for a major daily newspaper. After two decades of working his way up through the print news ranks, often leaning on the foundation laid by his Assumption liberal arts education, David Nordman ’96 was named the executive editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in December 2018.
“For me, my Assumption education was all about the one-on-one relationships, the opportunity to get to know your teachers, the chance to ask them questions outside of class,” Nordman said. “That’s something unique to a small college. I didn’t know it at the time, but I think that helped me to become a better communicator, interviewer, and public speaker. And like liberal arts, journalism is about being well rounded. A journalist is a quick learner, a good writer, listener, interviewer, communicator – someone who can take complicated issues, quickly understand them, prioritize them, and make them easy for others to understand.”
Nordman’s career has also been well rounded. While still a student, Nordman was hired by the Telegram in 1995 as a part-time copy editor and freelance writer, and would hold a number of other titles of increasing importance throughout his 23-year career at the newspaper including deputy managing editor, sports editor, copy editor, and assistant managing editor for digital and new media. Last September, Nordman was appointed interim executive editor, and he continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Assumption. A native of nearby Gardner, Nordman chose to study in Worcester and never left. “For me, the city is like a really big small town,” he said. “Big enough that every day provides you with new media. Last September, Nordman was appointed interim executive editor, and he continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Assumption.
A native of nearby Gardner, Nordman chose to study in Worcester and never left.
“For me, the city is like a really big small town,” he said. “Big enough that every day provides you with a new opportunity and a different adventure, and small enough to still have a neighborhood feel. It’s a great town to go to school in, to work in, and to live in,” he added. And for Nordman, the Greater Worcester area is a great place to give back. He has volunteered as a hockey, Little League, and soccer coach and currently serves as the president-elect for the Worcester Junior Railers Youth Hockey program.
He can also be found in Assumption classrooms, where he is sharing his decades of experience in news with students in an Introduction to Journalism course. Previous courses Nordman has taught as an adjunct professor include English Composition, Sports Writing, Argument and Persuasion, and Media Ethics. “I like making a difference in the lives of young people,” Nordman said.
To make that difference relevant, Nordman must stay current in an ever-changing medium. Although the core journalistic principles of truth, accuracy, fairness, impartiality, and accountability have not changed, he said, the process, tools, and technology are always evolving. Each semester as his students report on current events on campus, he changes his teaching strategy to reflect that evolution. “We’ve introduced alternative story formats, the importance of digital layers, video, audio, and social media, among other things,” Nordman said. “I try to treat my classroom like a working newsroom. I am not my students’ teacher; I am really their editor.”
