OU Daily elected Willie Gillespie as fall-spring editor-in-chief for the 2026-27 academic year.
Gillespie is a journalism junior and the current video editor. In his work as video editor, he has led a newsroom-wide shift to a video-first model. Gillespie’s work has scaled the Daily’s social media presence and reshaped how stories meet audiences.
Gillespie said his vision for the newsroom is to prepare every student for the rapidly evolving media industry.
“It is our duty to prepare the students for a tough industry, an industry where there are layoffs and where there are challenges,” Gillespie said. “But I believe that this newsroom is one of the best in the state, in the country, and that we can provide the tools and the support to prepare students for whatever happens next.”
Gillespie emphasized how much the OU Daily community means to him.
“The Daily is my home. I love this place. It’s changed my life,” Gillespie said. “...This place can tell the best stories of this campus, in this community, and we can do it better than anybody else, in my opinion, because of how together, how supportive this newsroom is.”
Gillespie joined the Daily in January 2024 as a multimedia journalist on the photo and video desk. From May to July of that year, Gillespie served as video editor for the Daily’s summer staff. In the fall, Gillespie pioneered a new position as a football multimedia reporter diligently covering the OU Sooners’ 2025 season, driving more than 31.5 million views across social media platforms.
“I’m honored to serve this place, be a good steward of this place and to honor and deeply respect the tradition and legacy that the people before me have set,” Gillespie said.
OU Daily will vote on and announce its summer editor-in-chief in April. Gillespie will start serving as editor-in-chief in August.
