Student journalists are a bit eclectic.
We get excited when the Board of Trustees comes to town to talk about money, even though we don’t make much money ourselves. We typically aren’t the most tidy bunch, but we're nothing if not intelligent, dogged and, for the most part, pretty kind.
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard a bit about the state of our local newspapers, whether it’s in the form of the whole “print is dead” schtick or from alarming headlines about news conglomerates buying up small-town papers. And while I’m not one to believe the doomsday premonitions, there’s certainly cause for concern.
Declining interest in print advertising, a move toward digital news sources and “fake news” rhetoric from politicians — all of these factors play into the struggles faced by the local and regional papers our democracy has depended upon for decades.
Student newsrooms tend to feel many of the same problems faced by local newspapers, plus we deal with the added pressures of administrative oversight and a separate set of financial hardships. As a result, student journalism is in trouble. And I’m not just talking about The Post.
I’m talking about The Independent Collegian at the University of Toledo, which disclosed the details of its financial situation this spring in an editorial titled “Our Newspaper is Dying.” The paper gained its independence in 2000 after it claimed the university was threatening its journalistic freedom.
I’m talking about the formerly independent Daily Campus at Southern Methodist University, which ran out of funding this spring and was ultimately absorbed by the university’s journalism school.
I’m even talking about the revered 124-year-old Daily Tar Heel, which recently reported it’s been losing $200,000 per year.
Across the country, student newspapers — many of which have been around for well over a decade — have been crumbling. Some are absorbed by journalism schools. Some turn to consolidation, slash print production or go online-only. Others end up closing their doors and halting their operations entirely.
Editorial independence is, and must always be, of paramount importance to any collegiate media outlet. It’s how we cover our university without having to worry about issues like prior review and censorship. It’s how we tell the stories we need to tell without worrying about anybody stopping us. Student newsrooms are responsible for having their finger on the pulse of campus and the local community. Without them, we’d be lost.
Come what may, The Post will be here to guide you. We’ll continue working hard to hold officials accountable and to bring you stories that entertain and inform. We’ve been doing it for more than a century, and we have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Lauren Fisher is a senior studying journalism and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Want to talk to Lauren? Email her at lf966614@ohio.edu or tweet her @lauren__fisher.
