Complete Story
09/07/2018
The importance of student journalism
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.
