In the beginning of March every year, Harbingers’ Magazine changes its Editorial Board. The editors for 2025 were Noah Saphier, Klara Hammudeh, Lola Kadas, Arnav Maheshwari, Hesandi Ravisinghe, Sofia Vorobei and Charlotte Wejchert. 

It was not an easy task to keep up with the many events that marked 2025 and the first months of 2026. We reported on ongoing conflicts in the Middle East; political tension in Southeast Asia; worldwide Gen Z-led protests; the sophistication of AI; the shift to right-wing politicians in general elections; and the rise of anti-immigration rhetoric in the West – to name just a few topics. 

Here, we all reflect on our roles and accomplishments in a challenging time as we tried to follow the news cycle. We’ve also got some great advice for future editors!

Noah Saphier

Editor-in-Chief | 18

This year has marked my third year as a writer for Harbingers’ Magazine and my first year as editor. As Editor-in-Chief, my job, in addition to writing and editing pieces, was to oversee everything. This means managing the editing process from the start, by assigning pieces to editors, to tracking the progress of pieces until they are published. 

Every Sunday, I wrote to the publishing team to let them know which pieces were ready for the website in the upcoming week. Additionally, I set up and ran meetings with the rest of the editorial board, where we discussed the magazine’s content and also wrote editorial pieces – such as this. 

As team lead, there is a lot to do and a lot of interesting people to talk to, making my year busy but exciting! The challenges I faced came with learning how to juggle the many responsibilities that come with being Editor-in-Chief, including the many weekly meetings I attended and ran with people in different time zones, the publishing list I sent out every Sunday, the pitches I assigned to editors, all while continuing with my own editing and writing. 

I feel that this experience has helped me to develop strong skills in time management and organisation that will help me with whatever future endeavours I undertake. 

My advice to future editors is, take your tasks one step at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed; utilise a calendar to help organise your responsibilities; and be in constant communication with the other team members and mentors from the Harbingers’ Project.

Lola Kadas

Society Section Editor | 17

During the last year that I’ve been editing the Society section – our writers’ favourite – I’ve loved more than anything being able to learn about so many different topics that I wouldn’t otherwise have discovered. From Gen Z protests to matcha, mental health and social media trends, this experience has been so fulfilling. 

It is not only facts that I’ve learnt about, though. I also kept on top of emails and managed my inbox much more regularly, which is something I find essential for not only Harbingers’, but other projects and my schoolwork too. 

In terms of writing, a very specific aspect that editing has helped me with is the increased intention with which I now write. I pay much more attention to the lengths of my sentences, and use links that provide evidence for the exact point I am trying to make. 

Next, I think it is paramount to remember while editing that you should change as little as possible so as to keep the original thoughts of the writer, especially when it comes to opinions or personal experiences. 

The combination of both of these would be to keep in touch often with writers while exchanging constructive feedback or questions. And most of all, enjoy the process!

Arnav Maheshwari

Economics Section Editor | 17

This year as Economics section editor has been one of the most intellectually demanding and rewarding experiences I’ve had. Stepping into the role relatively soon after joining the magazine as a Harbinger Prize winner in 2024 was both exciting and challenging. It required me to learn quickly and adapt fast, a responsibility that shaped much of my growth this year.

Economics often sits beneath the surface of global events, but editing this section made me realise how central it is to understanding conflict, elections, trade, technological change and even culture.

The biggest challenge I faced was fact-checking – both in my own writing and in the pieces I edited. Economics leaves very little room for approximation; numbers either hold up or they don’t. Oftentimes, a single outdated statistic or misinterpreted figure can quietly unravel an otherwise strong argument. 

I grew far more confident in that process as the year progressed, but there is always room to sharpen that discipline – and I hope to continue refining it in another year at Harbingers’.

Undoubtedly, my biggest advice to future editors is to nurture the relationships you build at Harbingers’. From mentors and publishers to writers and editors across different countries and cultures, the diversity of this community is what makes it so special. These are the bonds you carry with you beyond the year – and, for me, they have been the greatest asset of this experience.

Hesandi Ravisinghe

Science Section and Nepali Newsroom Editor | 16

I can’t believe a whole year has passed already. It has been a delight to be the editor of the Science section and the Nepali Newsroom. I’ve learned so much about the world and about editing pieces. Being an editor really helped me improve my own writing skills and also explore topics that are new to me.

I particularly enjoyed editing articles from the Nepali Newsroom and learning about the country’s culture. I’m very proud of how far these young writers have come and how much they have improved in such a short time. 

Sofia Vorobei

Culture Section and Afghanistan Newsroom Editor | 16

It’s already been a year, but, honestly, it feels like much less. Being one of Harbingers’ Magazine editors has been an amazing experience. I’ve come to understand the editing and publishing process better, and I’ve learned to handle responsibility more confidently. 

Taking care of the Culture section has been one of my favourite parts. I’ve loved reading and editing other people’s opinions on things I genuinely care about, such as cinema. I’ve discovered films and TV shows I’d never heard of and added them to my watchlist – it felt like getting recommendations straight from the writers. 

Editing the Afghanistan Newsroom pieces was also very interesting. I got to learn a lot about the situation in the country and all the struggles people go through there. 

The biggest challenge was correcting pieces critically and leaving comments. At the beginning, it made me uncomfortable to ‘judge’ something that someone else had put time and effort into creating. I didn’t feel that I was entitled to ‘correct’ other people’s work – writing is a creative process, after all, and sometimes the imperfections are part of what makes it what it is. 

Charlotte Wejchert

Human Rights Section and Armenian Newsroom Editor | 17

Being an editor has taught me many things over the last year. One of the most interesting skills that I have discovered is the ability to engage deeply with the writers’ voices in a way that any amendments that I make are consistent with their tone and register. 

Moreover, reading a piece closely multiple times also makes me feel very connected to the person that wrote it – so much so that I imagine what their voice sounds like, even though, in most cases, I never get to meet them. 

From a more tangible point of view, editing articles related to human rights has deepened my knowledge of crises and regions that I knew about and also exposed me to completely new topics and situations that I wasn’t aware of.