Maryland Media Inc., The Diamondback’s parent company, last night selected co-chief news editor Yasmeen Abutaleb as the paper’s editor-in-chief for the 2012 to 2013 school year.

Abutaleb, a sophomore journalism and microbiology major, did not have plans to pursue journalism as a career when she started college. On a whim, she contacted The Diamondback’s news editors the summer before her freshman year, with the thought that working for a college publication would be a good experience.

Although Abutaleb started on what she called the “rookie beat” (Facilities Management), she quickly moved to Diversity, the state legislature in Annapolis and the University Senate. During her sophomore year, she continued to cover the Senate while adding the office of university President Wallace Loh and the position of assistant news editor, eventually becoming co-news editor this past semester.

“She loves this place with her whole heart,” said current editor in chief Lauren Redding. “The Diamondback deserves the kind of editor she’s going to be.”

In the fall, Redding will become The Diamondback’s online editor, a new position Abutaleb plans to create in order to keep up with the changing world of journalism. A staff of online-only writers will be under Redding’s jurisdiction.

“We’re going to try to have a website that’s updated throughout the day rather than have all the stories put up at the end of the night,” Abutaleb said.

The Diamondback will also partner with other departments on the campus to maximize their outreach, starting with the computer science department to develop apps.

“It’s really going to be making The Diamondback a 24-hour news cycle, making it instantly accessible to people, and making it a paper and a website that people feel compelled to go to multiple times a day,” Abutaleb said.

An audit this year showed The Diamondback’s readership has fallen by almost half, from 13,000 to 8,000 readers. Maryland Media Inc. has been facing this problem with all its publications, but President Steve Lamphier is confident Abutaleb’s new initiatives and relationship with Loh will have a positive impact on, at least, The Diamondback’s circulation.

“We don’t often have a candidate that comes in that already has such an established relationship with staff,” he said. “Most of them have to establish that over time so I think that’s a big plus for us, or The Diamondback.”

MMI also named sophomore journalism major Alana Yzola editor in chief of The Eclipse and junior journalism major Kaila Stein editor in chief of The Mitzpeh.

“It’s a great crop,” said MMI General Manager Michael Fribush. “One of the best we’ve ever selected.”

mcfischer@umdbk.com