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A history of excellence and innovation

STEVE DORSEY is the vice president for R+D at the Detroit Media Partnership, the vice president of the Society for News Design, and a design consultant. He’s been involved in user-centered information design research for many years as well as publication design, deadline art direction and production. Steve joined the DMP after working for 11 years at the Detroit Free Press, most recently as the deputy managing editor/presentation + innovation.

Steve has been a speaker at conferences internationally, a recurring visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute, a visiting professor at Syracuse University, and a frequent speaker and coach in many newsrooms. Steve has presented at SND affiliate conferences: the SND-Chinese News Page Design Boot Camp (Hangzhou, China), the IFRA Conference on Design (Paris), and the Malofiej Information Graphics Summit (Pamplona).

Since first volunteering as a Syracuse University student at the annual competition, Steve has worked in service to the Society for News Design and the craft for nearly 20 years, he’s held numerous positions within the Society.

Before Detroit, Steve worked at the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader -- named one of SND’s World's Best-Designed™ in 1998. Before that he was at the York (Pa.) Daily Record, The Syracuse (N.Y.) Newspapers and the Norwich (N.Y.) Evening Sun. He graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Poynter Institute’s visual apprenticeship program.

Steve is a news and culture junkie. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing golf, poker and Xbox – although any success is purely accidental.

Decades of volunteerism, leadership

Since first volunteering as a Syracuse University student at the annual competition, Steve has worked tirelessly in service to the Society and the craft. He has held numerous positions:

+ VICE PRESIDENT (2010). Worked closely with new Executive Director Stephen Komives, President Kris Viesselman, Secretary/Treasurer Jonathon Berlin and the board of directors to make significant progress in correcting SND's financial situation, upgrading our website, updating our training and annual workshop, advocating for our colleagues and revamping our digital competition. There is plenty more to be done.

+ SECRETARY/TREASURER (2009): Steve worked in support of the leadership of the board of directors, executive committee and the officers during a tumultuous year that saw unprecedented changes in the Society. In addition to normal business functions, much of the year was been spent trying to piece together a financial plan that will ferry the organization into solvency during massive changes in the industry. A presidential resignation, the search for a new headquarters and an executive director search dominated the agenda.

+ PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR (2006 to 2008): Steve coordinated a panel of editors and contributors for SND’s various print and online publications; working with a core group to move SND’s member communications into the digital age with numerous aggressive live coverage projects for update.snd.org at key Society and industry events worldwide.

+ SND SPEAKER AND REPRESENTATIVE (various dates): Steve appeared on behalf of the Society at numerous venues across the U.S. and around the world. He represented SND and the World's Best Designed Newspapers (Category 1 of the annual competition) at IFRA's Conference on Design (Paris). He's been a jury member and speaker at the Malofiej Information Graphics Summit (Pamplona, Spain). And Steve's spoken on behalf of SND at conferences and workshops internationally, as a visiting professor at Syracuse University, as visiting faculty at The Poynter Institute, and a frequent speaker and coach at numerous papers.

+ PRESIDENT, SND-FOUNDATION (2004 to 2006): Helped better organize SND’s non-profit research and main education efforts. Helped raise money for the Foundation to provide travel grants to students and support education, research and outreach. With donations from the Houston workshop, the Foundation helped Habitat for Humanity build a house for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

+ EDITOR, DESIGN JOURNAL (2000 to 2004): Developed and assigned stories of and about the design and information graphics industry for quarterly publication, always seeking to elevate the quality of each issue. Edited and designed each issue, ranging from 48 to 64 pages.

+ QUICK-COURSE SITE CHAIR, CONTEST COMMITTEE MEMBER (various dates):

  • Frequent SND Quick Course speaker
  • Hosted first-ever Sports Design Quick Course. (Detroit, 2005)
  • Quick Course and SNPA conference co-coordinator. (Lexington, Ky., 1997)
  • Quick Course site chair. (York, Pa., 1995)
  • Annual SND competition judging facilitator and committee member, 11 years.
  • 21st Edition Contest Coordinator: guided judge selection, led competition, and assisted in editing and design of annual awards presentation and publication. This was the first year to expand judges’ comments in the annual book beyond just the most notable award winners. It was also the first time judges were presented within their judging teams in the annual, where they could offer team commentary on the work they reviewed.

Awards, commendations

+2009 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting (staff) for Kwame Kilpatrick mayoral text message scandal. [Senior newsroom leadership team member]

+ Gannett names Free Press newspaper of the year, 2009. [Senior newsroom leadership team member]

+ Gannett Supervisors of the Year (2006): "As the Detroit Free Press focused on heightened competition in the marketplace, Steve worked with Metro editors to redesign pages, develop new features and coordinate related system formatting and coding details. His planning and collaboration on Super Bowl XL coverage – the event was held in Detroit – involved high-energy special sections each day. He led efforts related to presentation as the features section shifted to key-topic pages each day and the Saturday Free Press was relaunched. Steve built the timeline for launching a full Sunday Free Press (published as a full edition for the first time in 17 years), paying attention to details and producing dozens of prototypes. While handling an array of special efforts, Steve keeps a steady hand on the look and direction of the daily newspaper."

Nominator's comments: "In a year of robust change at the Free Press, Steve has been a major force in identifying opportunities, solving problems and delivering great results. His influence goes well beyond his immediate areas of responsibility. Steve thinks strategically and focuses intensely on the best of editorial bottom lines – how readers are served. He reacts aggressively to big breaking news. His voice is a valuable one in the overall decision-making in the newsroom – on news coverage, staffing, the transformation to online, and all things aesthetic."

+ SND Presidential awards:

  • From SND president Scott Goldman (2007): SND Update: The Blog - Leadership Team, Matt Mansfield, San Jose Mercury News, Steve Dorsey, Detroit Free Press, and Kenney Marlatt, The Indianapolis Star. "For their extraordinary contributions in 2007 to the Society and its members, in creating the first truly interactive Web site in the organization's history. Their creativity, organization and energy helped rapidly create the first SND blog, to instantly deliver news, opinions and training ideas to SND's members. Their devotion to multimedia and engaging members online has helped pave the way for a more interactive, Web-based Society."
  • From SND president Susan Mango Curtis (2004): Steve Dorsey, President's Award, commended for his diligence and successful work compiling, editing, designing and producing SND's Design magazine for the last three years. Under his direction, the publication was compelling and informative.
  • From SND president Lucie Lacava (2001): Steve Dorsey, Detroit Free Press, for his relentless, enthusiastic and continuing contributions to the Society for News Design.

+ Direct involvement in more than 100 annual SND awards.