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What is campus journalism & why do students need it.

In 1991, the Philippine Government passed the Campus Journalism Act, one of the strongest laws which supports the development and promotion of student journalism, rights of the youth, and preserving the integrity of student publications. The law also states that anyone who obstructs or coerces any student publication and a student journalist shall be penalized.

Since the 18 th century, students raised their voices to demand social and political changes in their universities and countries. They then began to write letters and petitions as a form of protest. By the end of the 19 th century, universities and colleges in the U.S had weekly newspapers and many of them even had dailies. By 1973, more than 1,200 university newspapers had been published

We’ve all been a part of our school/college newspapers or magazines, be it in photos, published articles, essays, and more. However, there is more to it than just commissioning, writing and editing articles, it fosters a sense of liberalism, freedom of speech, the expression of societal issues, and other ‘tabooed’ topics that you won’t find in textbooks. Typically, a campus newspaper or magazine functions exactly how the media is supposed to – reporting the news, help determine which issues should be discussed, and keep people actively involved in society and politics.

Campus journalism exists in three main forms –

• School-sponsored – where the income arrives from university.
• Independent – a student publication not affiliated with the school
• Online – in the form of blogs, podcasts, or PDF copies of printed versions.

It gives students the opportunity to hone and practice their journalistic skills, and be the voice of change by getting readers to think about pressing issues that they probably wouldn’t have read anywhere else. Certain student communities also look to expand their horizons beyond just the campus, and discuss topics such as gender equality, human rights or even the protection of animals.

One of the biggest benefits of campus journalism is that you never get into trouble, unlike the case with mainstream media in society. However, this does not mean that reportage has ‘no limits’. Campus newspapers and magazines have established certain boundaries and authorities can even take action should these boundaries be crossed. An article in Careers 360 says the The Scholar’s Avenue lost it’s funding after publishing a report on the poor condition of the hospital, at IIT-Kharagpur. However, articles that are controversial in nature often get heavy editing or may even be completely scrapped.

Certain campus newspapers are always solely run by the students themselves, they have a presiding faculty member steering the ship. However, this doesn’t mean you will have to filter out your opinions, the faculty’s sole purpose is to serve as an advisor, that will be instrument in establishment and growth. However, being a part of a dynamic team will teach you soft-skills more than any classroom could, like effective communication and management skills.

Campus Journalism does not have to limit itself to the university level, but should also have an important stake at a National level too. Afterall, the youth are the change makers, and will determine he future of any society by formulating, amending, and implementing national policies.

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InsightOut: The Importance of Student Journalism to Campus Life

Chiara Greco is a fourth-year student studying Philosophy and English at St. Mike ’ s College. Since her second year she has been involved with student journalism and harbours a deep passion for the field. She is currently the Editor in Chief of  The Mike , our official student newspaper.

The Importance of Student Journalism to Campus Life

When I reflect on the importance of student journalism, especially in a time when we have been struck with a global pandemic, my immediate reaction is to create a defence of the field. To rake up all the reasons in my head why student journalism is important and worthwhile. While I can’t be sure where this response came from, I am sure that many people question the choice of being a student journalist—of the added stress without perhaps the large reward or payoff, or even exposure, that professional journalists get in breaking stories. While I’ve been told the career path I have chosen may be a “dying field” I’ve still prospered through my experience and, if anything, this global pandemic has shown me exactly why student journalism is so important.

In a time of social distancing the importance of staying connected through stories, media, and news is so pertinent. Our current global crisis has unveiled the dependence we all have on media and news to connect us. I’ll be the first to admit that virtual living—and learning, for that matter—can be very impersonal, and presents a challenge to most. But the job of student journalists is to bridge this gap between virtual life and ‘normal’ life for students across the university community. Student journalism is a pillar of university life on campus, and with our new-found virtual world, student journalists are those who will form the path towards online community. Stories are the basis of life, the overarching connection we all have to each other, and it is through journalism that these stories get communicated.

While my experience will not speak for everyone, I understand the importance of representing the masses, of being a voice to and for the unheard, and of cultivating a personal experience through our shared stories. Student newspapers like The Mike are an avenue in which this cultivation takes place—and, frankly, it’s hard to imagine university life without student newspapers or the journalists who staff them.

My time at St. Michael’s College has been defined by my involvement with The Mike, starting at the beginning of my second year. From working on the news team to becoming the Editor in Chief, I’ve understood that student journalists have a nuanced responsibility to their peers. We have a responsibility not only to hold our school accountable but also to be a reliable source of student life and news. Integrity, facts, and accountability summarize the three pillars which have come to define my experience of student journalism, and they will continue to guide me through my role with student publications.

Over the summer as I prepared for my role as Editor-in-Chief  I faced many challenges in reinventing the paper as an online periodical. The future of The Mike fell into my hands, and while it may have seemed like a large task to take on, especially with the challenges of the pandemic, I was privileged to represent the St. Mike’s community. As I transitioned into my role I began to prepare for things none of my predecessors had to ready for—how to run a printed student newspaper during a global pandemic. With no precedent,  changing the course of The Mike meant I had to evaluate the immense role student newspapers have within the university community. To put it simply, without student newspapers one of the most crucial aspects of student life would be taken away. In this way, The Mike ’ s achievements and success translate directly into St. Mike’s overall successes and achievements.

For as long as can be remembered The Mike has delivered students with a print version of the paper across campus newsstands. But the newspaper has been forced to make some hard decisions, such as forgoing our printed paper for now. But since The Mike’s inception our intake of news as students has changed drastically. While an online publication may take away the feeling of holding a physical copy of your work, we now rely more than ever on online avenues to give us news and connection, so The Mike ’ s online home has gone through a complete 180.  We’ve changed our website and delivery to allow more students to access and stay up to date with our publication and newsletters.

It is the duty of student journalists to deliver their colleagues’ voices on campus. The importance of cultivating a community across borders is exactly why student journalism is so valuable, because without it the distance between us would be far exacerbated. Student journalists, like professionals in the field, need to become experts on our own community. We need to become a voice for those students who may otherwise not be represented on campus. But this wide range of representation is only accomplished if students contribute their voices. The more voices published in The Mike , the more the diverse and accurate the representation of our community. So while a printed copy of the paper would be an ultimate goal, we have to remember the importance of accessibility and inclusivity when representing the student community. In a time of social distance, it only makes sense for student journalists to present student life as such.

While this pandemic has taught me many things, both good and bad, navigating my role as a student journalist and Editor in Chief of The Mike will perhaps be one of my biggest takeaways. Student journalism is at the heart of every university and college campus. It’s what connects us all.

Read other  InsightOut posts .

• Case Amateur Radio Club gains national attention for eclipse research April 12, 2024 • Shivangi Nanda and Zachary Treseler

• CIM fires viola faculty member, spurring dissatisfaction among students April 5, 2024 • Zachary Treseler , News Editor

The Observer

The importance of student journalism

Beau Bilinovich , Development Editor September 30, 2022

As staff members of The Observer, we like to tout ourselves as the voice of the student body. We are the platform for students from all walks of life and backgrounds, allowing all to share their stories and ideas with the campus community. But what does it actually mean—the voice of the student body? Why does what we, as student journalists, do matter? What’s the point, anyway?

Being a writer, I sometimes ask myself those questions. Whenever I write an article, I feel as if I’m just sending it off into the silent void where, save for a few of my family members (who are awesome), no one truly cares. Of course, that isn’t true. The conversations we as writers create with the community of Case Western Reserve University and the surrounding Cleveland community are important. It’s one of the ways we connect with the people around us.

So what do we gain from student journalism?

Student journalism can act as a model for the real world, where people can freely and openly discuss ideas, debate and point to the problems that need to be addressed. As opposed to state or even federal politics, schools offer a smaller, more confined community. It’s easier to see the effects of a change in, for example, university policy, since we are around each other all the time and see the direct effects immediately. When we familiarize ourselves with campus-wide issues, we can learn to understand strategies for resolving them.

That skill—figuring out how to resolve conflicts—is needed now more than ever. 60% of rural youth and 30% of urban youth live in “civic deserts,” where limited opportunities are available to meet people, discuss issues and address problems. Trying to cure the maladies that plague the country nationally is hard enough. But by engaging in conversations on the campus level, students can more easily meet and find solutions to the issues specific to a school’s community. 

For us at CWRU, that means calling to attention when the administration has an inadequate response to changes in housing policies, as happened last semester, or to the violent crimes that frequent this place we call home—issues that we are all too familiar with. For students at Virginia Commonwealth University, that means being on the front lines and covering police brutality protests. And countless school papers reported on the pandemic and its effects on the student body, including ourselves.

Hence by working together to figure out solutions to the problems affecting the campus community, we can build bridges. Figuring out solutions forces us to see each other. It brings the community closer together. This connection is valuable—especially since we as young adults were affected the most by loneliness and social isolation due to the pandemic.

Student journalism also enables young Americans to have their voices heard, broadcast and uplifted. Much of the political power in this country is held by older Americans: The average ages of members of the Senate and House of Representatives is 62.9 years and 57.6 years, respectively. President Joe Biden is currently the oldest president in history at 79 years old. Moreover, voter turnout for younger Americans in 2020 lagged behind older Americans by about 25%.

Seeing so much authority in the hands of only a fraction of the U.S. population can feel crushing. The connection that student journalists have with their community can help to mitigate these feelings and give young voices a sense of validity, especially when our concerns are often silenced.

No student newspaper is at the same level as The Washington Post or The New York Times. We aren’t Daniel Ellsberg uncovering classified government documents detailing two decades’ worth of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, but our work still has value in its own way. But as a student newspaper, we do cover issues personal to us, the student body. We shine a light on the issues that large media outlets might not pick up on, the issues that we have to face every day on campus. That’s what truly matters.

So that is what it means to be the voice of the student body. It’s not that we speak for all students, but rather that we bring conversations forward and unite together to determine how we can change this university for the better. Obviously, no writer can speak for every individual; differences in values make this near impossible. But we can share in a common understanding that CWRU, and all other universities, should be places for students to thrive.

Beau Bilinovich (he/him) is a fourth-year student majoring in aerospace engineering. When not struggling to turn in his homework at the last minute, he...

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Table of Contents

The role of student publications on campus.

Use:  The video adaptation of this lesson and the script can be used during digital or in-person journalism program orientations, class lectures, or as part of remarks while onboarding new student newspaper staff.

• Complete video adaptation for online teaching (length, 5:52)
• Sample remarks for in-person instruction
• Additional resources for students

The Role of Student Publications on Campus: Video Adaptation

Download in-person instructions

Sample Remarks for In-Person Instruction

Student journalists and publications play a vital role in informing their fellow students about campus events, serving as a check on their school’s administration, and uncovering stories that outside media might miss.

With more and more local news outlets shuttering, many college newspapers are the primary source of information about not only what’s happening on campuses but also their surrounding communities. 

For example, student newspapers across the country covered Black Lives Matter protests of regional and national significance. From The A&T Register at North Carolina A&T State University to The Collegian at California State University Fresno to The Minnesota Daily (a 121-year old student newspaper) at the University of Minnesota, student publications reported on protests on their campuses and across their surrounding communities, shedding light on alleged institutional racism and civil injustice. 

During the pandemic, student publications played a key role in holding administrators and students accountable. For instance, The Michigan Daily exposed a COVID-19 outbreak among the fraternities and sororities at University of Michigan, Arizona State University’s student publication reported on students leaving their dorms while they were supposed to be under quarantine, and the student paper at the University of South Carolina alerted the public to the ways in which the administration was withholding information about COVID-19 clusters. 

Moving forward, student media will continue to have an important role to play.

Types of Student Publications

Publications can have a variety of formats, including print and digital newspapers, student blogs, journals, and class publications.

Most student newspapers fit into one of two broad categories: classroom publications and editorially independent publications.

Classroom papers, sometimes referred to as lab publications, are primarily teaching tools for publishing stories, and the work is usually directed, assigned, and graded by a professor. In this kind of class, your professor can exercise their academic freedom to maintain much more control over what is published. That being said, they still must approach grading and publishing in a viewpoint neutral way. 

With respect to editorially independent papers (which can be funded either through student fees collected by the university or independent sources) students are responsible for content, sometimes with the guidance of a faculty member or an advisor. These advisors act as sounding boards when brainstorming stories, share institutional knowledge, provide advice on ethical issues, and make sure student journalists’ rights are being respected. At public schools and at private schools that commit themselves to free speech, administrators and faculty cannot dictate what can and cannot be published. 

In regard to funding, student publications have the same rights as any other recognized student organization. Administrators and student governments must be viewpoint-neutral when making funding decisions. For example, a school cannot deny or rescind funding based on reporting that represents the school in a negative light or angers alumni and donors.

Protecting Your Rights as Student Journalists

Student publications are protected by the First Amendment at public universities. At private universities, their treatment should be consistent with university policy—which, at most private schools, clearly expresses a commitment to freedom of speech, if not freedom of the press specifically.

Despite robust protections for student journalists, some colleges have attempted to censor or punish student publications, particularly when student journalists have been critical of the administration or have written about topics the administration finds objectionable.

Among some of the tactics administrators have used to silence journalists are defunding a publication, using the threat of an investigation, insisting on prior review before publication, and putting pressure on journalists and student media advisors to steer coverage. 

Having a recorded or written record is key to pushing back against censorship. If anyone does try to silence you, utilize your reporting skills to make sure you maintain a record of communication and alert your advisor. 

Other students, university staff members, and sometimes even administrators, have been known to steal or destroy free papers distributed on campus for publishing unpopular opinions or unfavorable coverage. This kind of action is vandalism or theft and should be treated and reported on as such. 

The best way to protect against censorship, particularly administrative censorship, is to know your rights and make sure your reporting is ethically sound. Good journalism practices should already avoid the kind of unprotected speech, such as obscenity or defamation, that a school might try to use to justify interfering with student editorial judgment.

Be clear with sources about what is on and off the record, make sure you know your state’s laws regarding recording conversations, and always try to clearly identify yourself as an on-duty reporter when attending events you’re covering.

Student publications play a vital role in informing students about events and occurrences on campus, exposing wrongdoing, holding leadership accountable, and informing the larger community about relevant events. In order to perform these important services, publications should be autonomous and free from editorial interference or censorship by administrators. 

Additional Resources for Students

Student Press Censorship — What Does it Look Like?

Under Pressure: The Warning Signs of Student Newspaper Censorship

A Citizen’s Guide to Recording the Police

Student Press Law Center’s Public Records Letter Generator

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Thursday April 25, 2024

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Campus journalism: A stepping stone for future professionals

An increasing number of university students are taking up campus journalism gigs despite not having a formal journalism background.

Between 2007 and 2011, Rajib Nandy, a dedicated student of Communication and Journalism at Chittagong University, emerged as a formidable force as he took on the role of a campus correspondent for two national dailies. Undeterred by the absence of a salary, he fearlessly covered a wide spectrum of campus events, exploring politics, crime, education, health, culture, research and more.

Rajib left no stone unturned in his journalistic pursuits, crafting several exclusive stories. 

Notably, he revealed a shocking tale, exposing the construction of an opulent rest house for a then-president of the country, concealed under the guise of the university's convocation preparations, with a staggering cost of over Tk1 crore.

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But there's more to his own story. As a campus journalist, Rajib had to overcome many challenges. In 2009, when he was a third-year student, a defamation case was filed against him after he broke another exclusive story about some allegations made about a professor at the university. 

At that time, Rajib worked for Samakal and armed with solid evidence in the form of documents, he received unwavering support from his editors. After enduring a year and a half of legal battles, he emerged victorious in the defamation case.

In 2010, he also covered the exclusive story of the world's last amphibious species, Fejervarya asmati. Rajib's exceptional work earned him the recognition of his editor, who doubled his salary as a testament to his remarkable talent.

Amid all this, Rajib maintained his grades and found a way to be the top student for the four years of his bachelor's degree. 

Now he is an assistant professor in the same department. Besides teaching, he is also a researcher and contributes news and opinion pieces to several media outlets in Bangladesh and India.  

To Rajib, campus journalism is a stepping stone for future professionals. 

"The experience of student journalism can be a great benefit, whether they [students] keep working in journalism after graduation or switch to other fields like communication, public relations, administration, research or teaching," he says. 

"To become a campus journalist, it is important to have good news sense, an ever-curious mindset, and the ability to tell a story engagingly, irrespective of the medium," Rajib adds. 

Current scenario of campus journalism 

An increasing number of university students are taking up campus journalism despite not having a formal journalism background. This surge is driven by the high demand for campus journalists within the dynamic media industry.

Student politics have always been of great interest to Bangladeshi audiences, and anything affecting university students is inherently linked to the well-being of the entire nation.

"And now that there are so many new newspapers, TV channels and online portals, university students are getting more opportunities to become campus journalists than before," explains Sirajul Islam Rubel, former general secretary of Dhaka University Journalists Association.

Nishat Parvez, an assistant professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Jahangirnagar University, also believes that campus journalism has been thriving for quite some time now. 

"In recent years, campus journalists have been very active. At Jahangirnagar University, they are unearthing administrative corruption, ragging, environmental pollution, problems of the students and several other issues through their reports and pushing the authorities for change," she says. 

However, one major complaint is that campus journalists are brutally underpaid. Most begin their careers without any salary, especially when working for online portals or relatively unknown media houses. Even when appointed by leading media houses and brought under the payscale, monthly salary rarely surpasses Tk15,000.

Perks of becoming a campus journalist

The biggest advantage of being involved in campus journalism lies in the fact that it prepares one to become a full-fledged journalist later on in life.

Suzon Ali, former president of the Rajshahi University Journalist Association, majored in English Language and Literature. But thanks to his experience as a campus journalist, he has become the Rajshahi district staff correspondent for New Age. "Had I waited for my student life to be over and then joined any media house to pursue my dream, it would have made my journey much harder," says Suzon. 

According to Shabnam Azim, associate professor of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, the current curriculum covers everything a student needs to become a journalist.  

Still, she believes that the practical application of theoretical knowledge always helps. So, teachers always encourage students if they pursue a part-time career in campus journalism. 

"It provides the students with valuable experience," Shabnam says.

Manjur Hossain Mahi, a third-year student of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, shares the same perspective. While acknowledging that campus journalism does not bring him significant financial rewards, he views the time invested in this profession as a valuable investment.

As a campus journalist, he is expanding his network by getting acquainted with new people, visiting new places and sharpening his communication skills. 

Additionally, he can also keep a tab on current affairs. 

The preliminary test of the 45th BCS took place in May, and Mahi claims he was familiar with most of the general knowledge and current affairs questions. "Because I covered some of those stories myself!" he says. 

Campus journalism also provides students with a respectable identity and brings them closer to their teachers. 

"Most people on the campus keep us in high regard, and teachers also pay extra attention to us," says Shakil Hosen, a third-year student of Political Science at the same university, who has also taken up the role of a campus correspondent for Dhaka Times. 

Some argue campus journalism has lost its spark. One of them is Badruddoza Babu, a leading investigative journalist of the country who also teaches part-time at Dhaka and Jahangirnagar universities. 

In the early 2000s, during his student years, he made his mark in journalism while working for the prestigious weekly magazine Shaptahik 2000. His captivating coverage of Dhaka University included a groundbreaking exposé on concealed firearms found within the residential halls. 

But he thinks such news coverage in recent times has become few and far between.

"There was a time when a campus reporter had at least one front page lead in the national dailies every month. But lately, I do not see much in-depth reporting by them, as they often remain preoccupied with covering trivial events and political press conferences," he says. 

Campus journalism has other challenges too. 

Foremost, it is almost like a 24/7 job, and a campus journalist always has to be on their feet, if need be. And that can hamper one's study. 

"Sometimes after a long day's work, I sit down to grab a meal, but suddenly my phone rings and I hear something big is happening on campus. At that point, I must run immediately to cover the news, even if that results in my studies getting compromised," shares Mahi. 

Meeting deadlines also takes a huge toll on them. They are asked to submit a piece of news by 6:30 pm. But some events take place after the time frame. Then they face the challenge of submitting the news by 10 pm for the second edition. 

Being a journalist can also put students up against the administration and student wing of the ruling party. "I faced threats of getting jailed several times because I tried to bring up the truth, which didn't go well with the people of the administration and the ruling party," says Suzon. 

There have even been several reports of campus journalists getting physically assaulted while simply trying to do their job. Sometimes it also becomes challenging to gather information from the higher authorities. 

In many cases, reporters are asked to apply through the Right to Information Act. But that is a very complex and time-consuming process, and campus journalists cannot afford to wait that long for one story.

"So, it is better to establish reliable sources among the higher authorities so that we can gather necessary information quickly," says Mahi. 

Shabnam also admits that campus journalists have to weather pressures from different sectors. "There are many risks for them. But my advice for them would be: never surrender to power or lose objectivity, rather try to handle every situation technically." 

Meanwhile, some students also lose interest in the job after a certain period and decide to switch to another profession. 

"But I think it's good that they are making up their mind while they're still young. Campus journalists are exposed to the harsh realities of life sooner, so they have plenty of time left to pursue something else," says Rubel. 

What opportunities are there for female students?

Female students are still reluctant to become journalists, notes Nishat Parvez. "Recent studies suggest the number is even lower in the management level than the entry level," she adds. 

Jakia Jahan, a lecturer of Mass Communication and Journalism, attributes religious fundamentalism as well as women's communication apprehension and lack of interest in the profession to the low rate.

However, a handful of female students are showing enthusiasm to become campus journalists nowadays.  

Autoshi Sen, a second-year student of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, is the first female student from her department to become a campus journalist. 

"It was far from easy. Many doubted my abilities and said I wouldn't be fit for the job. I got a job from Naya Shatabdi, a relatively new newspaper. Though I have already proved my worth, bigger media houses are reluctant to offer me a job," says Autoshi. 

Authoshi had to face harassment several times for being a female reporter. Many people are still not ready to accept that female journalists can work and compete neck and neck with their male counterparts. 

However, thanks to her role as a campus journalist, Autoshi has recently got the opportunity to become a presenter at Bangladesh Television. She expects that following in her footsteps, more female students will become campus journalists.

Marjan Akter, a Master's student of Communication and Journalism at Chittagong University, shares a similar experience as she serves as a campus correspondent for Samakal.

From her family to her surroundings, everyone was sceptical. They said it's not a women's job. The campus is one hour away from her home in Chattogram, and they asked how she could attend events that are taking place in the evening.

Marjan also had to face harassment from the student wing of the ruling party once when she went to cover one of their events. 

"But after doing this job for one and a half years, I have become more confident and mentally stronger than ever," says Marjan.  

Career / Campus Journalism

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Democracy and Disinformation: The role of campuses, campus journalism, citizen journalism and fact-checking in the struggle for democracy

“A large part of the struggle to keep democracy alive in this country—in any country—will be the struggle to keep our campuses free.” Such were the words spoken by University of the Philippines Visayas (UP Visayas) Chancellor Clement Camposano at the 3rd National Conference on Democracy and Disinformation, hosted this year virtually by UP Visayas.

For Camposano, colleges and universities, particularly UP, have become the subject of disinformation campaigns on social media. He characterized the attacks on the platforms as a vilification campaign, which not only poses a challenge to members of the university community, but also to the country’s democracy at large. “The University is under siege because there is a campaign of vilification against it, a campaign intent on portraying our campuses not only as breeding grounds of radicalism. . . but also as safe havens for enemies of the state,” he added.

Speaking to an online audience largely composed of the academe, particularly campus journalists, the chancellor underscored the role of campus journalists in challenging disinformation, particularly among members of the university community. “To keep democracy from breathing its last, we need to keep our campuses alive. Alive with ideas, with disputations, with political dreams of all sorts. Alive with politics, broadly construed,” he said.

Disinformation and government accountability

Speaking of campus journalists, Senator Risa Hontiveros underscored their role in the fight against the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. She particularly highlighted the Philippine Collegian and its editor Abraham Sarmiento, Jr., quoting his words, “kung hindi tayo kikilos? Kung hindi tayo kikibo, sino ang kikibo? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?” which were a challenge to fellow students to stand for freedom of speech and democracy.

Hontiveros also recalled how the Marcos dictatorship immediately closed down media organizations after proclaiming Martial Law, resulting to the growth of clandestine media organizations which would later emerge during the 1986 People Power Revolution. “The role of the media in protecting our democracy cannot be understated,” she said, mentioning its role as providing check and balance of government, acting as the virtual 4th branch of government.

The former broadcast journalist also paid tribute to local media organizations all over the country, including regional newspapers in the Visayas and Mindanao, whose relentless reports on the pivotal moments during Martial Law aided in the fight against state-sponsored disinformation and the restoration of democracy. “The Filipino media’s courage and ingenuity paved the way for more and more Filipinos to know the truth. For more Filipinos to wake up from a deep, deep slumber,” she added.

The senator also emphasized how the media plays an important role in providing the public with information which serves as the baseline of facts, from which people of different persuasions can have a rational discussion. “Without media, and if all we’re fed is propaganda or dis- and misinformation, this can polarize societies and skew public debates,” she said. She said that this lack of a common set of evidence-based facts will not only mean distortions of reality, but it will also make government accountability impossible.

Speaking likewise on the accountability of government, Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa said it was important for people to have accurate information from the media, as it will enable them to demand accountability and transparency from their government. “If we don’t have facts, we can’t have a shared reality and we cannot hold government to account, protect our rights, and protect our democracy,” she said.

Ressa, who has been the subject of several law suits regarding the ownership of Rappler and a supposed libelous news article against a businessman, views the charges against her as harassment of the media by the Duterte administration. She has been the subject of disinformation efforts by trolls on social media with the use of memes, altered images and misquotes. She has also been threatened by dubious social media users via messages and comments. “We have been demolished. We have been attacked, like Leila de Lima. Like Leni Robredo. We have been ridiculed. We have been dehumanized,” she said.

Aside from threats against journalists, Ressa also highlighted how social media platforms in recent years have been used to disseminate false information on the Marcos dictatorship. Coupled with constant attacks on journalists and media organizations, these are intended not to disprove what one already knows and has learned from studies, but to sow doubt. “The goal is not to make you believe something, although they seed a metanarrative for it. But the goal is to make you doubt everything. Because if you don’t trust anyone, then you’re not gonna do anything,” she added.

Citizen journalism and newsrooms

Also speaking on the role of citizens in exacting accountability in governance, the former head of ABS-CBN Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo , Inday Espina-Varona, said social media have over the years, become platforms where aside from personal rants, users can share issues of public concern. She is however careful to distinguish a citizen journalist from an ordinary social media user. “When you say you are a citizen journalist, you may not be a professional practitioner of journalism, but you report with the basics of journalism,” she said. That would include sharing accurate information and unadulterated multimedia materials like videos, audio materials or photos, to news organizations.

Emphasizing the importance of facts, the veteran journalist said one does not need to be a journalist to have the obligation to respect the truth. She even highlighted how one well known pro-administration blogger excused herself from being factual in her online postings by saying she is not a journalist. “You don’t need to be a journalist to be able to appreciate the need to be loyal to facts,” she said.

Aside from respecting facts, Varona said social media users, particularly citizen journalists, must also adopt journalism ethics in posting information online. This, along with loyalty to facts and training from news organizations, would be important skills in documenting and reporting social and political events. And speaking from her experience, she shared how enthusiastic ordinary citizens were in learning about the basics of journalism, enabling them to share stories of their community. “The citizen journalist does not make stories based on assignments, like us professional journalists; rather they report on the important things that matter to them, their communities, their lives. So, it is even more important for them to get the skills right.” she added.

Speaking of the role of citizen journalists in newsrooms, ABS-CBN Desk Editor and Producer Israel Malasa recounted how their newsroom broke the story of the Maguindanao Massacre in 2009, after they received information from a Bayan Patroller.

Malasa related how in November 2009, they received a photo from a Bayan Patroller of what were the bodies of the victims of the massacre. Working as the desk editor for the broadcast company’s Regional Network Group, based in Quezon City, he and his colleagues had to verify the information. “There was this photo that was sent to news by a Bayan Patroller. So, what we did was vet it. We called the authorities. The editors and reporters called up their various sources. And then it was confirmed that it was the massacre site,” he said. Without that courageous citizen journalist, he added, news of the horrendous incident would not have been known.

Tracing the roots of citizen journalism, Malasa illustrated how it began long before social media, when viewers of news programs such as TV Patrol, would send them information on community concerns such as ill-maintained roads and ditches, defective electricity posts and others. These stories were featured in a segment called Citizen Patrol. What made a difference between then and now was that the newsroom still needed to send a crew for these stories. “Back then what we would do is send a crew to the community. The crew would then engage the resident, the Citizen Patroller or citizen journalist, as how we call them now, get the facts and go to the authorities, interview, and then a solution about a particular problem is reached,” he said.

For Malasa, citizen journalists have contributed much to newsrooms, particularly with stories in different communities all over the country, which could not have been covered if information had not been provided to news organizations. “Citizen journalism, or information from the public, is in a way valuable, because it shows that it is not only the reporter who has knowledge of what is happening in society. If people on the ground are helping, if they are providing the facts, as long as it is substantiated, it is vetted, checked, it is an enormous contribution to a news organization,” said the UP Visayas alumnus.

Much has changed since then, as citizen journalists now can record their own materials and send their own information to the networks. For National Union of Journalists in the Philippines Chair Nonoy Espina, anyone can be a journalist as long as the person has the motivation, proper training and ethics. “[Ordinary] people can be very, very good journalists, if they have the motivation, and if they are given the skills to do it,” he said.

For Espina, training remains an important aspect of journalism which both citizen and professional journalists must have, as these are essentials in news gathering and crafting a story. “Putting a story together is not that easy. We might make it seem easy, but it actually isn’t. From gathering the facts to actually putting the story together,” he said.

And while citizen journalists may have undergone training, Espina, like Malasa, still suggests newsrooms must vet stories coming from the communities, as those in news organizations are more steeped in the professional standards of journalism and the legal regulations which affect the practice should there be lapses. Newsrooms, he also said, are liable, should libel cases arise from erroneous reporting. Referring to journalists and editors he said “If a story gets past you, especially an erroneous story, then you didn’t do your job. That is your fault. Then, you have to take responsibility for that.”

Espina however is quick to add that the collaboration between citizen journalists and professional journalists has been beneficial, particularly in situations which made it necessary for both to work together. “Actually, the best combination is the citizen journalist and the journalist. They should always work together. If one is separated from the other, then there is a disconnect [in the story they are working on],” he said.

Fact-checking vs disinformation

For investigative journalist and UP Associate Professor Yvonne Chua, one of the avenues where the public and journalism professionals best intersect in the age of disinformation is in fact-checking. As an educator, she has been teaching courses in fact-checking in the UP College of Mass Communication. “Fact-checking is increasingly becoming an important component of media literacy initiatives. In journalism education is an essential component,” she said.

Emphasizing journalism as a discipline of verification, Chua said the concept and practice of fact-checking in journalism has quickly evolved in recent years. In the past, the task of the practice of fact-checking in a news organization was undertaken by editors, who ensured the factual accuracy of the stories submitted by reporters before these were published. “The fact-checking we now refer to, has expanded to include verifying, and often debunking textual and visual claims, especially falsehoods, made by individuals, groups or institutions, ranging from our public officials, public figures, to netizens that produce user-generated content,” she said.

Sharing some notes from a recent study she was part of, Chua illustrated how the majority or 57% of the 19,621 respondents they had from all over the country, said disinformation is a serious problem. About 28% see it as somewhat of a concern. While 15% see no problem at all with disinformation. Among the age groups, she said those between ages 18 to 24 were more likely to view the proliferation of false information as serious.

The same age group also viewed disinformation as having possible effects on the elections. Despite these reactions, the respondents revealed they don’t verify news as much as they should. “Despite being aware that disinformation is a problem and could affect elections, the proportion of young Filipinos who have never verified the news or information that reaches them, is significantly higher than the 7% national average,” she added.

Also with regard to the results of the survey she and her colleagues conducted, the respondents defined ‘fake news’ as news which are bad for the president or the country, with a significant number of respondents from the 14 to 17 age group, agreeing. “It’s a sentiment that we know is often spouted by populist authoritarian leaders including our own,” she said.

Aside from concerns on disinformation, Chua said the study also revealed the lack of know-how among the respondents in how to verify news and information they came across. “This self-confessed gap in knowledge and skills certainly needs to be addressed,” said the journalism professor.

Viewing fact-checking as an invaluable tool for aspiring journalists, Chua views the course as essential in journalism education, particularly in the wake of the massive proliferation of disinformation and misinformation. The skills can either be included in teaching journalism ethics or as a stand-alone course. In recent years, she and her students have been involved in several projects where they verified the claims of political candidates and leaders. Among these are Tsek.ph  and Factrakers .

In the interest of keeping fact-checkers safe from possible threats and intimidation from those who may dislike their findings, Chua said it is important that those involved in these projects refrain from posting unvetted fact checks on their personal social media accounts. They must also process negative feedback on their stories. And they must also consider whether their stories should have bylines or not.

Campus publications and democracy

Discussing threats and intimidation of campuses, UP Associate Professor Diosa Labiste talked about how in recent years, disinformation has taken the form of hate speech and red tagging, particularly against the UP community. Citing studies she did with Chua, she illustrated the similarities between hate speech and red tagging and how these contribute to the proliferation of disinformation online.

For the former community journalist, red-tagging, much like disinformation, is made up of false or fabricated accusations disseminated by trolls online. It has from minimal to almost no basis in fact. It also vilifies activists, critics of the administration and journalists. And similar to hate speech, it uses threats, harassment, some even resulting to arrests and deaths. Labiste believes the vilification of the university community while serious, can be met with stories coming from campus journalists who continue to provide accurate stories of issues and concerns confronting its members.

Underscoring the need for news reports that are fact-checked and verified, Labiste said campus journalists can fill gaps left by mainstream media in the exigencies of day-to-day news reporting. These means, young journalists-in-training can provide content which cannot be found in the commercial media. “Some news are not so sexy for commercial media or mainstream media to cover. But campus press has been covering these issues,” she said.

Labiste said that aside from providing unique content on news events, campus press can pursue stories which provide differing perspectives, diverse issues and more vigorous discussions and debate. It also provides students with the capacity for citizen-witnessing, which blurs the line between news producer and news consumer, as well as that between a journalist and an advocate. “Campus journalism is a form of counter speech because it intervenes to help citizens and communities make sense of information amid lies and ‘fake news.’”

For John Nery, a journalist, columnist and educator, campus journalism remains a strong pillar in the struggle against disinformation, not only in colleges and universities, but also in society at large. “Yes, we should use our campus publications to discuss school concerns; but at the same time, we have to realize that we actually occupy a position of privilege, and that our campuses are surrounded by what we call communities at risk,” he said.

School publications, according to Nery, act not only as hubs for public discourse of those in the academic community, but they can also function as public spaces for discussions of social issues which confront a community. Using UP Visayas and other higher education institutions in Iloilo as examples, he said their publications can serve as venues for conversations. “Why shouldn’t the school publications of UP Visayas, of the University of Iloilo, of PHINMA, and other Iloilo-based schools, talk about what’s happening in Iloilo? And by doing so, turn their school publications into their own version of the public square,” he added.

Emphasizing the dynamism of the youth in campuses, Nery underscored their capacity for reinvention and innovation, particularly at a time when there is a need for stories and voices from various communities in the country. Highlighting the potentials of campus journalists and publications, he said they could “very easily turn our campus publications from campus loudspeakers into community megaphones. We can use our campus newspapers, our campus news websites, into a forum where we can talk about the concerns of the people who live around us, literally.”

Summing up the conflict between disinformation and democracy in the country, a veteran human rights lawyer, Chel Diokno, said that the country was already suffering from an epidemic even before the onset of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19. “This is a different kind of epidemic. It did not affect our human bodies. But rather, the human body politic. And that really was what we experienced, the last few years. An epidemic of extra judicial killings. An epidemic of abuse of power. And an epidemic that uses fear and violence,” he said.

According to Diokno, the current health pandemic has only served to exacerbate the difficulties ordinary Filipinos face. But in the same breath, he also highlighted how social media platforms have also served to condemn some of the questionable actions of public officials in the implementation of regulations of the public health emergency. He quickly added how sadly enough, the situation has also illustrated how the law is implemented differently for different groups of people. “We saw how poor people who violated quarantine regulations were given the full brunt of the law. While those who were connected or associated with those in power, just got a pat, sometimes even a mere reprimand, or not even that,” he said.

Affirming his belief in the power of the people, the chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said citizens must always: speak truth to power; remain vigilant even in difficult times; call out falsehoods particularly those disseminated online; and, ultimately hold those involved accountable for their actions. He was also quick to add that all these actions necessitate the involvement of individuals and communities from different backgrounds.

Expressing faith in the transformative power of the right to suffrage, Diokno said it is important for citizens to choose the right leaders for the country. And for that to happen, those in colleges and universities must call on everyone to properly exercise the right to vote. “At the end of the day, given the way our situation politically is run, we will have a golden opportunity, especially you, young people, to choose our future leaders, our next leaders, and to determine the future of our country, when the next elections come along.”

Aside from Diokno, Nery, UP Professors Labiste and Chua, the journalists Varona, Espina and Malasa, and Senator Hontiveros, former UP Student Regent and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny National Convenor Raoul Danniel Manuel also gave a talk on the role of the youth as defenders of press freedom. A UP alumna and ACCRALAW Associate Lawyer Kate Aubrey Hojilla also talked about press freedom and the Philippine Constitution.

Another UP alumna, Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, Director for Health Promotion of the Department of Health and Special Assistant to the Secretary for Universal Health Coverage, shared her experience in handling the department’s information campaign on the COVID 19 pandemic. Endy Bayuni, Jakarta Post Senior Editor and member of the Facebook Oversight Board, also talked about Campus Journalism and how the social media platform tackles disinformation.

Aside from the speakers, presentations on the proliferation of myths and misinformation on the Marcoses were also given. Miguel Reyes and Joel Ariate, Jr. of the UP Third World Studies Center talked about publications. While Dr. Earvin Cabalquinto of Deakin University, and Dr. Cheryll Ruth Soriano of De La Salle University Manila talked about revisionists videos online.

The 3rd National Conference on Democracy and Disinformation was hosted by UP Visayas on February 22, 24 and 26, 2021 as a project with the Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation. The consortium is a network of academics, journalists, bloggers and civil society groups. Among those which support the network are the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Philippines and Holy Angel University. For more information on the consortium, visit https://fightdisinfo.ph/ .

The conference was also held in partnership with MOVE.PH, Daily Guardian, UPV Division of Humanities, UPV Information and Publications Office and DYUP 102.7 FM. For videos of the conference, please visit https://www.facebook.com/DandD2021 .

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What do Lorde, Shrek, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston have in common? They’re all subjects I’ve written about for the Arts section of The Harvard Crimson!

The Crimson is Harvard’s independent daily newspaper, and it’s entirely written and produced by students. While classes, activities, and campus jobs have come and go, The Arts Board of The Crimson has remained a constant in my college life.

My high school may not have had a newspaper, but by the time I graduated I was certain that I wanted to be a journalist.

I had been bit by the political bug (much to my apolitical parents’ chagrin) and spent hours on hours reading all the longform and political journalism I could find. I searched The Atlantic, Politico, CNN, The New York Times, and other outlets for interesting pieces — frequently exhausting each publication’s free article allowance before the first week of the month was up.

The summer before my senior year of high school I was fortunate enough to participate in the Princeton University Summer Journalism Program, a summer “bootcamp” of sorts that introduces low-income students to the field of journalism as well as guides them through the college admissions process. I left PUSJP with a game plan for my future:

Step 1: Get into college.

Step 2. Write for my college newspaper.

Easy enough, right? I’ll spare you the lengthy details on Step 1. After a flurry of SAT exams, college essay edits, and last-minute finishing of my Common Application I was accepted to Harvard in December of my senior year of high school. As soon as I got to campus I made a point to find out when The Crimson’s first Open House would be.

I remember being nervous as I walked up to the unassuming brick building on Plympton St. in Cambridge — a stone’s throw away from Harvard Yard — but the feeling went away as soon as I saw the smiling faces waiting to greet me at the door.

I was rushed through a quick tour of the building the ended in a large meeting room where each board (News, Editorial, Arts, Design, etc.) gave their “elevator pitches” for joining their section of The Crimson. While I had walked in the building with plans of becoming the next big Politico writer, I felt myself compelled by the friendly faces and welcoming attitude of the Arts Board representatives. I went to my first Arts meeting the next week and never looked back.

This is the photo for my satirical piece: "My Guilty Pleasure is the Crimson Arts Internal Service Error." Photo by: Kathryn S. Kuhar

Whether your idea of “art” is the Metropolitan Opera or Cardi B’s “I Do” the Arts Board will welcome you with open arms. It didn’t matter that I had never written for a newspaper before — there were weekly lessons led by training directors that taught me everything I needed to know to write features, reviews, and blog posts on topics I care about.

I found myself exploring parts of Boston, reading books, visiting museums, researching artists, and attending events that I otherwise wouldn’t have known existed had I not picked up stories about them.

The best part is that all of these events (film screenings, concerts, and more) are free! As reporters, we get press passes to events and advance copies of books/albums in order to review and write stories about them. For this reason I’ve been able to see more concerts and movies, read more books, and attend more events than I otherwise would be able to afford to — and The Crimson offers financial aid too! Students who receive financial aid can apply to be paid for their work at The Crimson in lieu of having to choose between writing for the newspaper or working an on campus job.

The Arts Board is more than just a section of the newspaper, it’s a little family. We host fun screenings of movies, board game nights, and Oscar/Grammy/Tony viewing parties. I became close friends with the editors I worked with on my pieces and with my fellow writers. If you asked me my first day on campus if I thought I would ever write a 3,000+ word investigative story, cover the 2018 Boston Calling Music Festival, or write a biweekly column of deeply personal essays on music I would’ve laughed. The Arts Board has given me these opportunities and so many more, and I’m so excited to see what moments and memories the next two years will bring.

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Campus Newspapers: Withstanding the Journalism Digital Crisis

By Maggie Eastland

Published: July 31, 2021

When I arrived on the Notre Dame campus this August, I noticed something that I had not seen a single time all summer—a printed newspaper. The Observer student newspaper was littered throughout the campus. In an era when journalism is shifting production to online media and websites, the prevalence of the printed newspaper on Notre Dame’s campus seemed like a step back in time. A bit of a technophobe myself, I relished reading the printed newspaper; however, I couldn't help but wonder why this campus newspaper had not been swallowed by online media like its mainstream paper counterparts. Is there some advantage campus papers have over mainstream papers that allows them to thrive, or are these printed copies simply prolonging their inevitable extinction? The answer to this question is important for college students involved in the campus newspaper, future journalists, and even current journalists who can learn from the unique situation of the campus newspaper. Despite the ever-changing journalism industry, the campus newspaper, both online and in-print, finds more success than the traditional newspaper because it caters to a specific audience, reaps the benefits of an advertising advantage, serves an educational purpose that encourages donations, and maintains readership by offering papers for free and highlighting local, personal news stories. For these reasons, campus newspapers will continue to thrive, though with some integration of new technology mediums.

In the past few decades, mainstream news has taken a huge hit to profit. Pew Research Center shows that advertising and circulation revenues have dropped steeply since 2006 with very little revenue coming from printed papers (Barthel) and employment in U.S. newsrooms has dropped by half between 2008 and 2019 (Grieco). Despite these industry trends, campus newspapers don’t seem to be laying off staff or reducing circulation at the same drastic rate. In fact, according to Rutgers journalism professor Steve Miller, Alloy Media+Marketing New York “found that 82% of students read their campus newspaper, a rate that more than doubles most major metro dailies” (Miller 10). Despite a need for additional, more recent studies, Miller’s work on campus newspapers sharply contrasts the trends shown by Pew Research Center’s data for mainstream papers, leading to the conclusion that campus newspapers have some inherent advantage over mainstream newspapers.

Several factors set campus newspapers apart and allow them to continue successful circulation. First, college campuses are composed of a very particular audience. Every student on a college campus is pursuing higher education, meaning they have already displayed a thirst for knowledge and an interest in the world. Naturally, this population will be more inclined to read the news, and thus, advertisers are more likely to pay for ads in the campus paper. Data from the Pew Research Center demonstrates how newspaper readership increases as individuals reach higher levels of education. The study compared the readership of high school graduates, those who completed some college, college graduates, those who completed some post graduate, and post graduates from 1999 to 2006. Although readership as a whole sloped downward, findings showed that a higher level of education correlated to higher levels of readership (“Daily Newspaper Readership by Education”). This conclusion suggests one possible reason that college newspapers have survived longer than mainstream papers -- campus newspapers have a concentrated audience of active, engaged individuals who have already chosen the path to higher education. Miller’s study corroborates this evidence for the college newspaper, finding that “more than half (55%) of students reported reading the newspaper in the last week, and close to 30% reported reading every issue” (Miller 10). Journalism scholars Jeremy Lipschultz and Michael Hilt confirm Miller’s findings in their work Predicting Newspaper Readership on the Campus Community . After conducting a phone survey of 402 respondents, some students, some teachers, and some employees, Lipschultz and Hilt concluded that a large majority, “92.0% of students, 97.9% of faculty, and 94.1% of staff reported reading the community daily newspaper” (Lipschultz & Hilt 1052). Based on these numbers, the researchers also noticed that individuals with more education were more likely to read the paper (Lipschultz & Hilt 1053), further proving data from the Pew Research Center. Although the report was compiled in 1999, the data still depicts the high level of readership on college campuses today, especially given the fact that electronic and other media were available to students and professors during that time. Taken together, the Pew Research Center data and the evidence of high readership from Lipschultz, Hilt, and Miller show that the specific audience available on a college campus contributes to the continued success and high readership levels of campus newspapers.

This engaged, filtered audience makes it easier for the paper to maintain strong readership; however, it also helps the campus paper make more revenue through advertising. Miller mentions how only 13% of college students reported avoiding advertisements and 80% of students actually report responding to ads (Miller 10). This research suggests that access to a targeted audience, such as a specific group of college students, strongly appeals to advertisers. Despite their limited income, college students are still large spenders, making them an attractive market to advertisers. Additionally, many companies seek to advertise to college-age communities because they are brand-loyal, geographically stable, and responsive to ads (“Marketing to College Students”). Knowing such a high percentage of readers will notice and respond to advertisements, companies are naturally more willing to pay for ads in campus newspapers. Based on published advertising rates for The Observer , national companies are willing to pay up to $1240 for a full-page printed ad and up to $12 per thousand page views for an online ad (“Rate Card 2019-2020” 3). In contrast, ad revenues for mainstream newspapers have dried up as companies turn to other avenues of Internet advertising, which provide a larger audience and more opportunities to target specific consumers (Kuttner). Campus newspapers, on the other hand, still have some appeal for advertisers over alternate Internet ads because they guarantee the ad will reach a specific population of college students. The combination of a targeted audience and high level of readership helps campus papers remain afloat while traditional papers, facing a much broader, less specified audience, rapidly lose ad revenue and subscription fee profits. Advertisers realize that college students still read the newspaper, and many want to access that specific audience; thus, campus newspapers benefit from these ad revenues and maintain strong circulation.

On top of the concentrated audience, high level of readership, and potential for advertising, campus newspapers have yet another advantage over traditional newspapers that is a direct result of their role in journalism education. While most academics agree that the modes of journalism are changing, many hold fast to the idea that what characterizes good journalism remains unmoved. In his discussion on adapting journalistic education to meet new technologies, journalism academic Martin Hirst contends that while social media skills help a journalist succeed, writing, editing, note-taking, and interviewing skills are still essential (Hirst 447). These critical skills are best formulated and practiced by learning how to write for an actual newspaper. As Roger Pace, Ph.D., of the Communication Studies Department at the University of San Diego is quoted in a University Wire Article, “the best of the online news sources are staffed by trained reporters who were schooled in journalism and ethics at daily papers” (“Fewer Newspapers on Campus”). This quote suggests that the use of print journalism on college campuses is a necessary step that allows students to apply traditional journalistic practices and principles in future digital jobs. For example, the strict deadlines, formatting, and finality of a printed newspaper teach journalism students valuable lessons and skills that can be applied in non-traditional journalism jobs. Maria Leontaras, Editor-In-Chief for The Observer highlights the fact that newspapers “serve as an excellent way for students to learn about journalism and hone their skills if they are looking to pursue a career in the field after graduation” (Leontaras). Leontaras, Pace, and Hirst all reach a similar consensus that the educational aspects of the campus newspaper are very important, suggesting another reason for the campus newspaper’s success. The learning opportunity presented by print newspapers as well as their ability to leave an important historical record (Leontaras) provide another reason for their continued success and point to another source of revenue generated by donors who want to support the education of future journalists.

While students learn valuable lessons from writing and editing a print newspaper, opportunities for students to practice digital media journalism should not be overlooked, especially since Generation Z, the generation of students in high school and college right now, rely heavily on social media for their news. As one article claims, “a stunning 82% of Gen Z and younger Millennials include among their primary sources Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Buzzfeed, Instagram, Snapchat and their desktop feed” (Myers). A recent journal article on the news habits of Generation Z confirms Myers’s conclusion by proposing that “Gen Z’s are interested in news and follow news, even though they principally access it through social media” (Click & Schwartz 7). Ignoring the high demand for online news from the college population would be a missed opportunity for the campus newspaper. At the University of Notre Dame, The Observer capitalizes on both print and digital circulation by releasing a printed newspaper three times per week, posting all printed stories on their website, and highlighting top stories on Instagram in conjunction with every print release (Leontaras). Additional evidence shows that campus newspapers such as The Observer once again beat traditional newspapers when it comes to success in the online news sphere.

Research on the use of digital journalism, specifically Twitter, on college campuses shows that campus newspapers are adapting more smoothly than traditional newspapers. Twitter investigators Kris Boyle and Carol Zuenger analyzed the Twitter pages of 25 award-winning campus newspapers, filtering results to determine the “frequency, content, and interactivity of the tweets” (Boyle & Zuenger 12). Unlike mainstream papers, the number of tweets from campus news organizations was strongly correlated with the number of followers, showing that Twitter journalism is more effective on college campuses than it is in mainstream media (Boyle & Zuegner 16). While mainstream newspapers release tweet after tweet, their following does not grow in response. Campus newspapers, on the other hand, face a very responsive audience, gaining more followers the more frequently they tweet. This once again suggests a fundamental difference between audiences, and shows that the active audience on the college campus engages with both printed campus newspapers and digital campus news. In addition, the researchers found that Tweet frequency was positively correlated to publication frequency, implying that newspapers build their Tweets around their print papers (Boyle & Zuegner 16). This style of online journalism mirrors The Observer ’s Instagram posting schedule and supports the claim that paper journalism skills supersede into non-print media, adding value to the campus newspaper. While campus newspapers might begin to use more digital tools, they still experience much greater success with these online platforms than mainstream newspapers due to their targeted audience. Many colleges manage a respectable paper circulation in addition to regular posts on their website, Instagram, and Twitter pages. This development and evidence from Boyle and Zuenger implies that the fundamental advantages of a campus newspaper—audience and educational value—impact both print and digital news formats. For most schools, including Notre Dame, that print newspaper still serves as the centering and grounding force from which digital media arise.

One more key difference between campus newspapers and mainstream newspapers is that campus newspapers are free, or at least not charged for by issue, and stocked around every corner on campus while traditional newspapers require a subscription fee. This means that campus newspapers have to make up even more revenue in advertising and donations in order to offset the free papers. In recent years, the prevalence of social media and online news has tended the narrative that news should be free, but this idea remains somewhat unrealistic. After all, printing papers and paying staff naturally costs a lot of money. Despite the inherent costs of producing a newspaper, evidence shows that college students consider subscription costs a barrier to entry in reading traditional newspapers. After all, why would college students pay for a New York Times subscription when they can simply catch up on all the current events via their Twitter feed? If traditional newspapers were free at the time of reading, like campus newspapers, students would be much more likely to read and engage with them. One survey conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology mentions how “about 140 colleges in the United States and Canada are experimenting with providing papers to college students” through the College Readership Program in order to boost readership of national news on college campuses (Williams 25). An article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education explores this movement in greater detail through the examination of a specific case study of the College Readership Program at the University of San Diego. The journal article, titled “Free Newspapers Prompt Boom in Campus Readership,” describes how President Graham B. Spanier “arranged to stock the dormitories at all nine residential campuses with open distribution racks carrying the New York Times , USA Today , and the local newspaper” (Reinsberg). The costs are offset by an additional $13 added to room and board costs, and college students now read the mainstream news more often than ever. As the article quantifies, “nearly three-quarters of students read one of the three commercial daily newspapers regularly, at least in part because of their availability” (Reinsberg). This specific example shows that college students take an interest in news; however, the costs of print newspapers present a strong incentive not to read, especially when most news can be sourced for free via social media. This highlights yet another difference between campus and mainstream newspapers that accounts for the relative success of the campus newspaper. Campus papers are free and readily available while mainstream papers require a subscription fee. Even large news outlets recognize the opportunity presented by the captive audience on a college campus and want to capitalize on the unique situation. Ongoing debate surrounds the Collegiate Readership Program as some schools, such as Vanderbilt University, argue that it will destroy campus newspapers and the opportunities they provide for students (Reinsberg). That debate is beyond the scope of this paper; however, the disagreement only testifies to the valuable niche campus newspapers hold and their special advantages in the current news environment.

An article titled “Campus newspapers: hard times, hard choices,” published in the Gateway Journalism Review , highlights this special environment for newspapers, claiming that “the college press has long existed in a kind of alternate universe from the one its commercial counterparts inhabit,” largely due to a concentrated population of educated, involved students (Fiddler). Citing circulation reduction and online shifts at many colleges and universities, the article later argues that this idyllic market for campus news will not last (Fiddler). There is some credibility to the claim that campus newspapers will eventually face the same crisis currently paralyzing traditional newspapers; however, the relatively stable audience demographics, the education-driven approach, and the niche for local news point to the opposite conclusion. While colleges may shift the majority of production to online media, there is no strong evidence to believe that campus newspapers are doomed. Colleges seem to be actually growing more selective in recent years, micro-filtering the audience even further. Additionally, multiple sources contend that Gen-Z’s still have a strong interest in current events despite their changing preference for method of news delivery (Click & Schwartz and Myers). Both of these developments suggest that campus newspapers are not going anywhere. To further disprove the idea that campus newspapers will soon face extinction, the study conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology finds that college students prefer reading local news in print as opposed to any other type of news (Williams 6). Editor of The Observer , Maria Leontaras emphasizes that the personal appeal of the campus newspaper adds to its popularity, writing in an email interview, “Students also grab physical copies when they are featured in the paper -- families love them” (Leontaras). Since campus newspapers specialize in reporting local campus happenings, the preference for local news in print, presents another reason why campus newspapers will continue to thrive. Finally, the ultimate educational goals of the campus newspaper ensure it will succeed thanks to benefactors and donors who provide the revenue needed to teach students the art of journalism.

Leontaras explains that The Observer receives funding through donations, a small fee added to student costs, and ad revenues both online and in-print (Leontaras). These sources of revenue identify the specific advantages of the campus newspapers for colleges around the nation. First, campus newspapers receive donations because of their educational purpose that mainstream newspapers do not benefit from. In addition, campus newspapers can subtly add a fee to students’ upfront costs so that campus papers are free and accessible at any point during the year. Finally, campus newspapers benefit from a specific, engaged audience that attracts advertisers and increases readership. These advantages and the revenue provided through a unique combination of sources allows The Observer and other student newspapers to remain relevant even as the storm of digital media and declining ad revenues threatens to destroy the outside, real-world newspapers. Understanding these reasons for success will allow current college students who are involved with campus newspapers to continue meeting the needs of their local audience and soliciting supporters for donations in order to preserve the campus newspaper for generations to come. Examining the special case of the campus newspaper and highlighting its causes of success also restores confidence in the campus newspaper’s future for current and future participants and may even provide valuable insight for how traditional newspapers can achieve similar success and stability. For example, mainstream newspapers may want to invest more resources into micro-targeted newspapers to increase readership and create a more attractive audience for advertisers. Traditional newspapers might even attempt to solicit more donations from philanthropists who understand the importance of responsible reporting. Either way, the specific success of the campus newspaper holds important implications for its direct participants and for the journalism industry at large.

Works Cited

Barthel, Michael. “Trends and Facts on Newspapers: State of the News Media.” Pew Research Center's Journalism Project , 4 Feb. 2020, www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/newspapers/.

Boyle, Kris, and Carol Zuegner. “Big Tweets on Campus: College Newspapers’ Use of Twitter.” Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication , vol. 5, no. 1, 2015, pp. 12–21.

Click, Kevin, and Neil Schwartz. “Trending Now: News Habits of Generation Z.” SSRN Electronic Journal , 2018, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3408021.

“Daily Newspaper Readership by Education.” Pew Research Center , 12 Mar. 2007, www.journalism.org/numbers/daily-newspaper-readership-by-education/.

"Fewer Newspapers on Campus." University Wire , Apr 06, 2017 . ProQuest , http://proxy.library.nd.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1885956910?accountid=12874.

Fidler, Eric. "Campus newspapers: hard times, hard choices." Gateway Journalism Review , vol. 42, no. 326, 2012, p. 12+. Gale Academic OneFile Select , https://link.gale.com/apps/

doc/A293666471/ EAIM?u=nd_ref&sid=EAIM&xid=eb9af3eb. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Grieco, Elizabeth. “10 Charts about America's Newsrooms.” Pew Research Center , Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/28/10

-charts-about-americas-newsrooms/.

Hirst, Martin, and Greg Treadwell. “Blogs Bother Me.” Journalism Practice , vol. 5, no. 4, 2011, pp. 446–461., doi:10.1080/17512786.2011.555367.

Kuttner, Robert, and Hildy Zenger. “Saving the Free Press From Private Equity.” The American Prospect , 27 Dec. 2017, prospect.org/health/saving-free-press-private-equity/.

Leontaras, Maria. Personal email interview. 13 October 2020.

Lipschultz, Jeremy H, and Michael L Hilt. Psychological Reports, 1999, pp. 1051–1053, Predicting Newspaper Readership on the Campus Community .

“Marketing to College Students.” Business.com , 2020, www.business.com/articles/marketing-to-college-students/.

Miller, Steve. “Study: College Newspapers Are the Ad Rage on Campus .” Brandweek , 2008, www-proquest-com.proxy.library.nd.edu/docview/218083335/5E6FD9A29C96485BPQ/

2?accountid=12874.

Myers, Jack. “How Generation Z Gets Their News.” The Ripon Society , 16 Feb. 2018, riponsociety.org/article/how-generation-z-gets-their-news/.

“Rate Card 2019-2020.” The Observer , 1 Aug. 2019, ndsmcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1568167994-11032662657c922.pdf.

Reisberg, Leo. “Free Newspapers Prompt Boom in Campus Readership.” The Chronicle of Higher Education , 23 July 2020, www.chronicle.com/article/free-newspapers-prompt-boom-in-campus-readership/.

Williams, Kristin A. “Students' Self-Reported Preferences for Print and Online Newspapers.” RIT Scholar Works , Rochester Institute of Technology , 2003, scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3553&context=theses.

Complete a reverse-outline of this essay and analyze the essay’s structure . What is the purpose and function of each paragraph? How are the ideas sequenced? Which ideas get the most space in the essay, and why?

How does this student writer develop their ethos? Point to specific sentences that demonstrate the writer’s trustworthiness, character, and investment in the topic. Then, compare these moves to another research paper published in this edition of Fresh Writing; how are the approaches to cultivating ethos similar? How are they different?

Maggie Eastland

Maggie Eastland is a Michigan native living in Pasquerilla West Hall. She is majoring in Finance and English with a minor in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy. Her interest in the journalism industry and The Observer student newspaper spurred her research for this essay. Since writing her essay on campus newspapers and community journalism, she joined The Observer and currently works as an Associate News Editor. "Campus Newspapers: Withstanding the Journalism Digital Crisis" examines and reevaluates the supposed death of news in the context of college campus; however, as an aspiring journalist, Maggie hopes her findings can have implications for the industry as a whole and allow news outlets to remain in the business of disseminating truth. Maggie thanks Dr. Erin McLaughlin, her Writing & Rhetoric professor, for encouraging her and offering advice throughout the research and writing process.

No matter the times, Campus journalism is vital

National campus press tourney recognizes student-journalists and underscores the value of young journalism despite the pandemic.

Campus journalism allows aspiring writers and media men to practice their craft. This exercise is important enough for a law to be enacted, the Campus Journalism Act of 1999, which enables the development and promotion of campus press.

As Randy Pausch said, “When you do something young enough and you train for it, it becomes a part of you.” Inculcating proper media values, tradition, ethics, and skill to young journalists is a must, especially now that local media, at least online, is saturated by short-form, often redundant, and regurgitated content.

The Best Designed Campus Papers (BDCP) of the Philippines, an award-giving organization that acknowledges best practices, visual excellence, content integrity, and creativity of campus publications, held a virtual event to honor outstanding student-journalists in the first-ever National Campus Press Olympiad (NCPO) 2021.

“Promoting Community Development through Multi-platform Campus Journalism” is the theme of the online tournament, which highlights the important role of the school paper during the health crisis. 

The friendly competition challenged delegates from elementary, high school, and college levels to showcase their specialties in their respective areas, particularly news, features, sports, real-time reporting, documentary-making, social media publishing, photojournalism, and editorial cartooning.

Writers and artists from the Benildean Press Corps (BPC), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB)’s official student journalists’ organization; and Ad Astra, the student team tasked to produce the college’s official yearbook, bagged a total of 19 awards from different categories in the college division.

BPC took home the main prize for Mobile Documentary with  Hinaing ng mga Tahimik  by Jan Christian Dijan, Steve Justin Santos, and Alfred Vincent Zarate. For her Digital Editorial Cartooning, Cyryna Vivien Molit won first place.

Meanwhile, Ronyella Mae Veliyusa and Ma. Zophia Emmanuelle Tendido ranked second for Sports Writing and Real-Time Reporting, respectively. Beatrice Monique Mendoza attained third prize for News Writing.

Man Eng C  by Hufana, Beatrice Quirante, Hannah Regina Dayan, Joshua Paul Gaces, Isabel Adolor, Gabrielle Sabine Bacani, Nina Kiara Cudal, and Francis Erika Javier garnered the second place for Social Media Publishing and third for Web Publishing.

Lunduyan  by Jyllan Sydrey Bitalac, Hannah Barredo, and Anne Carmina Valmeo clinched third place for Mobile Documentary and the Special Award for the Most Social Media Engagement. Sportswriter Anna Marie Laganzon clinched third spot for her English-language beat.

The event was made possible through the assistance of Aloha Events and Marketing Solutions (Aloha PH). The complete list of winners may be viewed on the official Facebook page of NCPO at  facebook.com/nationalcampuspressolympiad .

Campus Journalism in shaping better learning opportunity

Campus Journalism – The Flag

What is Campus Journalism?

It is defined as “ that enjoyable activity of the staff of the campus paper  in collecting, organizing and presenting news, writing editorials, columns, features, and literary articles, taking pictures, cartooning, copy reading, proofreading, dummying & writing headlines”.

A campus journalist is a person who works in an institution that goes through the process of producing intellectual content in the school. If it’s not produced well, it could disparage either the school or its learning environment in the purpose of a school is to produce knowledge for others, for society. Campus journalism has a role because it assumes a role of critical awareness, critical consciousness.

Aside from the fact that this gives Filipino student journalists a glimpse into the real world, it also helps to create a safe environment where they can tell their stories without fear of judgment or backlash. But what makes Philippine campus journalists capable of rebutting threats and criticism? A study in Manila examines that question by examining the newsroom culture, democratic consciousness, ethical practice, and citizenship among student journalists.

For most of the teachers in Alapan 1 Elementary School, a student journalist is much more than someone who only puts out the news. It has the role of shaping students through critical awareness, critical consciousness, civic and ethical responsibility, and concern for the country.

Campus journalism helps them assess their bias towards what they write. A biased news article may not be reflective of the truth. It becomes an instrument of propaganda by both sides – government and non-government organizations (NGOs) . Misleading news could have been corrected if there was a responsible campus journalist around to illuminate it when it happened (De La Torre 2006). At Alapan 1 Elementary School, campus journalism is the place where the school offers the opportunity for better learning beyond regular classroom interactions.

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Columbia in crisis, again

On April 30, 1968, New York City police officers, acting at the behest of officials at Columbia University, cleared five campus buildings that had been occupied by students protesting various issues linked to the war in Vietnam and the fight for racial justice. Police arrested around seven hundred people, and more than a hundred injuries were reported. The Spectator , the campus newspaper, quickly got an edition out, the front page of which contained photos of police surrounding an academic and a student with a bloodied head, as well as clipped, yet highly vivid, eyewitness dispatches compiled by twenty student journalists. (“The police moved in, some swinging radio aerials from walkie-talkies, whip-sawing faces. Several heads were pushed against the stone steps.”) The dispatches continued inside, interspersed with ads for aftershave and cologne, an Israel Independence Day celebration, and an issue of The Atlantic referring to the Vietnam War as “the wrong Rubicon.” The edition also reproduced a statement by Grayson Kirk, the president of Columbia, who said he had concluded, with the “utmost regret,” that he had taken “the steps necessary to permit the University to resume its operations.” 

The events took a toll on the Spectator ’s journalists, one of whom, the paper reported, was “hit in the face twice by a plain-clothes policeman” and “sent by a doctor to St. Luke’s Hospital, suffering from dizziness and double vision.” (The paper relayed this shocking fact deep down page three, in parentheses.) Even before the arrests, “most of the press was denied access to the occupied buildings, and the administration, paralyzed, wasn’t talking. So it fell to a group of not-quite and barely twenty-somethings—the reporters, editors, and photographers who made up the Spectator staff—to explain what was going on,” Robert Friedman, then the editor in chief, recalled fifty years later, in an essay for the paper . “With little or no sleep, we worked around the clock, climbing in and out of buildings, interviewing participants on all sides, describing what was being said behind closed doors; then writing, editing, and proofreading until dawn to keep the campus and the outside world informed, and then doing it all over again the next day.”

On Thursday, New York City police officers, acting at the behest of officials at Columbia University, cleared an encampment on a lawn outside the library that had been occupied by students protesting various issues linked to the war in Gaza. Police arrested over a hundred people. The Spectator (which, these days, only prints once a week ) quickly got a story up online, which contained photos of officers leading away protesters with zip-tied wrists, as well as a video clipping together scenes of noisy chaos and eyewitness accounts compiled by twenty-one student journalists. The story quoted from an email to the university community written by Minouche Shafik, the president, who said that, “out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus,” she had authorized police to begin clearing the encampment.

Since then, the Spectator has published at least seventeen more stories tracking the escalating fallout. Undeterred, protesters continued camping out into a third day , then a fourth , then a fifth . University administrators began notifying participants that they had been suspended and banned from entering “common areas” on campus, and that they could even lose access to Columbia housing. Various faculty members and students expressed outrage at the arrests . Over the weekend, pro-Israel counterprotesters reported receiving threats and anti-Semitic abuse both on and just outside campus, including shouts of “Go back to Poland, go back to Belarus” and “Burn Tel Aviv to the ground.” In a WhatsApp chat, a campus rabbi urged Jewish students to stay at home , adding, “it is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus.” 

To quickly note: CJR is based within Columbia’s Journalism School, but it is not a student publication; we cover the media industry and related debates, not campus life. Speaking personally, I have not observed any of the events on campus in recent days since I don’t live in New York. For a detailed blow-by-blow accounting of what’s happening on the ground, I’d suggest that you read the Spectator or other reporting from journalists on campus .

This being said—and as in 1968—the arrests and their aftermath have become a media story in various respects, including on campus. While some journalists from outside news organizations have reported from campus, various others say they have had difficulty getting in. (On Friday, the Columbia Journalism School invited credentialed members of the media who had been denied access to get in touch over social media so that they might facilitate it .) Over the weekend, WKCR, a radio station at Columbia, said that a university public safety officer had asked its personnel to leave the building from which they were broadcasting, as part of a general evacuation. After explaining that WKCR is a “press organization with a duty to the people of NYC to operate a 24/7 FM signal,” and following a number of phone calls, the station’s staff was allowed to stay put. WKCR said that it was told there had been a “misunderstanding.”

And if, as Friedman would later put it , the 1968 protests became a national front-page news story and made Columbia “the center of the universe,” something similar has happened this time—albeit in a very different media ecosystem, one by turns fractured and amplified by the noise of social media. In a statement marking Passover , the White House condemned “reprehensible and dangerous” anti-Semitism on college campuses, without naming Columbia directly; the official X account of the state of Israel retweeted a video of protesters outside the campus gates , referring to them as “terrorists.” Speaking for myself, trying to follow what was actually happening online over the weekend was a disorienting, maddening experience; as Zeynep Tufekci, a professor at Princeton (and formerly at Columbia Journalism School), put it yesterday , “a student protest is going national on the basis of very distorted impressions.” (For one, it’s far from clear which protesters are affiliated with the university and which aren’t. Yesterday, protest organizers at Columbia put out a statement saying that they “reject any form of hate or bigotry” and are “frustrated by media distractions focusing on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us.”)

The crisis at Columbia has entered into a broader national media climate that has treated campus culture as a huge story in recent years, and particularly since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and Israel responded by bombarding Gaza. As I see it, such coverage has sometimes been over-generalized and has often been disproportionate—even distracting, at times, from the much weightier events in the region, where tens of thousands of Palestinians and over a thousand Israelis have been killed ( including at least a hundred or so journalists, most of them in Gaza ). The story’s arriving in the media capital of the nation, if not the world, was always likely to supercharge it. And yet this type of story does raise important questions—about the repression of speech, the abuse of it, and the advance of a culture war that, it increasingly seems, has left no American institution untouched.

That, of course, includes the media itself—an institution whose lifeblood is speech, and one that has been rocked by sharp differences over the war ever since it began; as my colleague Ayodeji Rotinwa reported in December , “nothing in recent memory has riven newsrooms the way this war has.” To that point, journalists in several newsrooms worldwide had been punished, even fired, for public expressions of solidarity with Gaza. Arab journalists working for US publications suggested that they had “borne the brunt of this moment,” Rotinwa reported, with both Western and Arab observers questioning their credibility and objectivity, for different reasons.

Such convulsions have continued since. Just last week, the New York Times concluded an internal probe that it launched after details of editorial disagreements over a story about Hamas deploying sexual violence as a weapon of war appeared in The Intercept ; the probe did not reach a “definitive conclusion” as to what had happened but did identify “gaps in the way proprietary journalistic material is handled.” Inside and outside observers criticized the paper for siccing a leak investigation on its own staff, while the union representing Times journalists filed a grievance alleging that the probe targeted journalists of Arab and Middle Eastern descent. (The Times denies this.) Meanwhile, Uri Berliner, a senior editor at NPR, resigned after he was suspended for publishing an unauthorized essay in The Free Press accusing the broadcaster of drifting into uncritical left-wing orthodoxy. Among other complaints, Berliner criticized his colleagues for downplaying the events of October 7 and the global rise in anti-Semitic hate—and for covering “the Israel-Hamas war and its spillover onto streets and campuses through the ‘intersectional’ lens that has jumped from the faculty lounge to newsrooms.”

The controversy kicked off by Berliner’s essay was much wider than this one complaint, and in many ways different from the recent episode at the Times ; both episodes raise questions about power dynamics and principles of collegiality and objectivity that are peculiar to newsrooms, or at least hard to directly compare to the recent events at Columbia. Still, there are some clear parallels. And some entanglements. For example, Christopher Rufo—a right-wing activist (and self-described journalist) who helped bring down the president of Harvard earlier this year in the aftermath of a prior, similar row about campus protesters, and who was quite explicit about his reasons for doing so — is now pushing to have Katherine Maher, the new CEO of NPR , fired after he unearthed some old tweets in which she expressed liberal views. (Maher posted the tweets prior to working in the media business, and does not set NPR’s editorial policy. The president of Harvard, it should be noted, ultimately fell over plagiarism allegations, but had recently appeared—disastrously—before a congressional committee hearing on campus anti-Semitism. Last week, the day before the Columbia arrests, Shafik appeared before the same committee.)

If the speech questions facing colleges and media organizations, in the context of the war and more broadly, are similar but not identical, much the same could be said of the comparison between this moment and 1968. This comparison has itself worked its way into the national-level coverage of the current crisis at Columbia—sometimes because of the self-evident parallels between the two sets of arrests (see above); sometimes because political reporters seem thirsty for an election-year comparison. ( See also: the persistent 1968 narrative around the 2020 election .) Such comparisons can be instructive. But they can never be exact.

This extends, of course, to the Spectator ’s coverage. Last week, following the arrests, the paper’s editorial board weighed in with a sharp rebuke of Shafik and nodded back to 1968 . “History has made clear who stood on the wrong side then, and it’s clear that this is the side you are aligning yourself with now,” the editorial read, adding “this will be your legacy.” In the immediate aftermath of those violent 1968 arrests, however, the paper left a blank space where its editorial should have been. “All week, we had debated and disagreed about the events unfolding around us,” Friedman later wrote. “But that night there was no disagreement: Exhausted and horrified, we decided to run two columns of white space, surrounded by a thick black border, just below the masthead where the editorial was supposed to appear.” Those running the paper had concluded that sometimes, “silence is more effective than words.”

Other notable stories:

• Vanity Fair ’s Charlotte Klein reports that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has denied press credentials to several journalists whose work has displeased it. These reporters can still attend Trump rallies, but must do so on the same terms as the general public, which entails inconveniences. In 2016, Trump’s campaign denied credentials to entire news outlets; this time, one reporter told Klein, it’s being “more picky-choosy.” 
• Lawmakers in New York State approved a budget that includes ninety million dollars in payroll tax credits to incentivize the hiring of local journalists—the first such provision to pass nationwide. “The aid will be split between companies with 100 or fewer employees and larger ones,” Politico reports , with eligible outlets receiving “a 50 percent refundable credit for the first $50,000 of a journalist’s salary, up to a total of $300,000 per outlet.”
• Washingtonian ’s Andrew Beaujon dug into the recent decision by bosses at WAMU , an NPR member station in Washington, DC, to shutter DCist , the news site under its aegis. Bosses say that the site caused WAMU to deviate from its core mission of audio broadcasting, but the decision also “tanked employee morale and baffled some faculty members and alumni of American University, which operates WAMU,” per Beaujon.
• Press Gazette ’s Bron Maher dug into the sharp recent layoffs at openDemocracy , a newsroom that has done impressive work in the UK . The extent of a “funding crisis” at the nonprofit “only became apparent to the board in February,” Maher writes, but “questions remain among staff as to how these issues emerged so suddenly.” Now “the bad blood within the organisation has escalated to legal letters,” Maher reports.
• And Terry Anderson, a reporter with the AP who was abducted by Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1985 and held hostage for nearly seven years, has died . He was seventy-six. “He never liked to be called a hero, but that’s what everyone persisted in calling him,” Sulome Anderson, his daughter, said. When asked recently if he had anything left on his bucket list, he replied, “I’ve lived so much and I’ve done so much. I’m content.” 

ICYMI: A camera-free courtroom gives Trump the upper hand

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Opinion columnists | armstrong williams: npr whistleblower highlights everything wrong with journalism today | guest commentary.

As a career broadcaster and journalist, I’ve always believed that honesty wins a reader’s or viewer’s trust. Honesty may require confessing errors or reporting inconvenient truths. I am an unapologetic conservative. But I will never allow my political leanings to compromise my journalism. Edward R. Murrow is my model.

As polarizing Trumpian politics was born, journalism took a hit on both sides. Opposition to Trump found expression in highlighting the allegations of Trump’s collusion with Russia but burying the conclusion that evidence disproved the allegations. Support for Trump found expression in giving prime time to hallucinatory claims of electoral fraud while ignoring 61 court decisions proving the contrary and the volumes of discovery that poured forth in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation suit against Fox News that resulted in a staggering settlement.

The media is now suspect across the board — megaphones for liberal or conservative bias.

A lengthy essay published this month in The Free Press by Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at the taxpayer-funded news outlet, NPR, highlights this evil. Berliner was suspended following the publication of his piece, and he later resigned, writing in a letter to NPR’s CEO: “I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cited in my Free Press essay.”

Berliner’s essay elaborates on NPR’s unusual reliance on Congressman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and Trump’s greatest foe at the time of the Russian collusion investigation, as a major source for their reporting on the issue. Berliner counts around 25 Schiff interviews, and laments, “But when the Mueller report found no credible evidence of collusion, NPR’s coverage was notably sparse. Russiagate quietly faded from our programming.”

The Hunter Biden laptop reveals a similar NPR bias. It contained credible evidence of Biden family influence peddling that was dismissed as Russian disinformation by relying on Biden intelligence poodles. NPR fumbled. It did no independent verification. Berliner writes, “During a meeting with colleagues, I listened as one of NPR’s best and most fair-minded journalists said it was good we weren’t following the laptop story because it could help Trump.”

And finally, the COVID-19 lab leak theory — the supposed right-wing conspiracy theory that COVID-19 may have leaked from a lab in Wuhan and that it might not have had natural origins was similarly dismissed by NPR’s science team. According to Berliner, their reasoning was related to “the Bush administration’s unfounded argument that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, apparently meaning we won’t get fooled again.”

Such journalistic malpractice is epidemic, whether about Russiagate, concocted claims of electoral fraud, Hunter Biden’s laptop or COVID-19. Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil about anything disturbing to a journalist’s liberal or conservative dogmas.

Journalists were once a proud few who fought back against tyranny and the lies that governments told. Now, many of them have become party political agents ready to be summoned into service at a moment’s notice, weaponized to advance a partisan political agenda through propaganda.

Whatever happened to the truth-finding philosophy attributed to Sgt. Joe Friday in “Dragnet”: Just the facts, Ma’am.

More in Opinion Columnists

Opinion Columnists | Peter Jensen: Ben Cardin is boring — and Congress needs more like him | STAFF COMMENTARY

Opinion Columnists | Armstrong Williams: Violence on campus and the ignorance of elite students | GUEST COMMENTARY

Opinion Columnists | Dan Rodricks: BLM activist DeRay Mckesson still hounded by ‘wild’ lawsuit | STAFF COMMENTARY

Opinion Columnists | Armstrong Williams: Raging antisemitism on Yale and Columbia University’s campus | STAFF COMMENTARY

The New Rules of Political Journalism

In this election, the reporting strategies of the past will not be enough.

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

In our digitally chaotic world, relying on the election-reporting strategies of the past is like bringing the rules of chess to the Thunderdome.

First, here are three new stories from The Atlantic :

• The October 7 rape denialists
• Finding justice in Palestine
• Biden’s safe, polite campaign stop in Scranton

This past weekend, I was on a panel at the annual conference of the International Symposium on Online Journalism, in beautiful downtown Austin. Several journalists discussed the question: Are we going to get it right this time? Have the media learned their lessons, and are journalists ready for the vertiginous slog of the 2024 campaign?

My answer: only if we realize how profoundly the rules of the game have changed.

Lest we need reminding, this year’s election features a candidate who incited an insurrection, called for terminating sections of the Constitution, was found liable for what a federal judge says was “rape” as it is commonly understood, faces 88 felony charges, and—I’m tempted to add “etcetera” here, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? The volume and enormity of it all is impossible to take in.

The man is neither a riddle nor an enigma. He lays it all out there: his fawning over the world’s authoritarians, his threats to abandon our allies, his contempt for the rule of law, his intention to use the federal government as an instrument of retribution . Journalists must be careful not to give in to what Brian Klaas has called the “ Banality of Crazy .” As I’ve written in the past, there have been so many outrages and so many assaults on decency that it’s easy to become numbed by the cascade of awfulness.

The former White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer points out a recent example in his newsletter: On a radio show earlier this month, Donald Trump bizarrely suggested that Joe Biden was high on cocaine when he delivered his energetic State of the Union address. It was a startling moment, yet several major national media outlets did not cover the story.

And when Trump called for the execution of General Mark Milley, it didn’t have nearly the explosive effect it should have. “I had expected every website and all the cable news shows to lead with a story about Trump demanding the execution of the highest military officer in the country,” this magazine’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, told The Washington Post . “If Barack Obama or George W. Bush had done so, I’m sure [the news media] would have been all over it.” (Trump’s threats against Milley came after The Atlantic published a profile of Milley by Goldberg.)

In our digitally chaotic world, relying on the reporting strategies of the past is like bringing the rules of chess to the Thunderdome. There has, of course, been some progress. The major cable networks no longer carry Trump’s rallies live without context, but they still broadcast town-hall meetings and interviews with the former president, which boost ratings. NBC’s abortive decision to hire Ronna McDaniel, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, as a contributor, despite her role in spreading lies about the 2020 election, highlighted the disconnect between this moment and much of the national media.

And then there is the internet. It is certainly possible that richer, more insightful media will emerge from the digital revolution, but we’re obviously not there now. Back in 2016, we worried that social media had become a vector for disinformation and bigotry, but since then, we’ve seen Elon Musk’s extraordinary enshittification of X. In 2016, we worried (too late) about foreign interference and bots. In 2024, we are going to have to contend with deepfakes created by AI.

This year will see some of the best journalism of our lifetime. (You’ll find much of it here in The Atlantic .) But because both the media and their audiences are badly fractured, much of that reporting is siloed off from the voters who need it most. Because millions of Americans are locked in information bubbles, half of the country either won’t see important journalism about the dangers of a second Trump term or won’t believe it.

As Paul Farhi notes in The Atlantic , MAGA-friendly websites have experienced massive drops in traffic, but social media continues to thrive on negativity and providing dopamine hits of anger and fear. And of distraction—last week, the most-liked videos on TikTok about the presidential race included a video of a man singing to Biden and Trump’s visit to a Chick-fil-A .

To put it mildly, the arc of social media does not bend toward Edward R. Murrow–style journalism.

So what’s to be done? I don’t have any easy answers, because I don’t think they exist. Getting it right this time does not mean that journalists need to pull their punches in covering Biden or become slavish defenders of his administration’s policies. In fact, that would only make matters worse. But perhaps we could start with some modest proposals.

First, we should redefine newsworthy . Klaas argues that journalists need to emphasize the magnitude rather than simply the novelty of political events. Trump’s ongoing attacks on democracy may not be new, but they define the stakes of 2024. So although live coverage of Trump rallies without any accompanying analysis remains a spectacularly bad idea, it’s important to neither ignore nor mute the dark message that Trump delivers at every event. As a recent headline in The Guardian put it, “Trump’s Bizarre, Vindictive Incoherence Has to Be Heard in Full to Be Believed.”

Why not relentlessly emphasize the truth, and publish more fact-checked transcripts that highlight his wilder and more unhinged rants? (Emphasizing magnitude is, of course, a tremendous challenge for journalists when the amplification mechanisms of the modern web—that is, social-media algorithms—are set by companies that have proved to be hostile to the distribution of information from reputable news outlets.)

The media challenge will be to emphasize the abnormality of Donald Trump without succumbing to a reactionary ideological tribalism, which would simply drive audiences further into their silos. Put another way: Media outlets will need all the credibility they can muster when they try to sound the alarm that none of this is normal . And it is far more important to get it right than to get it fast, because every lapse will be weaponized.

The commitment to “fairness” should not, however, mean creating false equivalencies or fake balance. (An exaggerated report about Biden’s memory lapses , for example, should not be a bigger story than Trump’s invitation to Vladimir Putin to invade European countries .)

In the age of Trump, it is also important that members of the media not be distracted by theatrics generally. (This includes Trump’s trial drama, the party conventions, and even— as David Frum points out in The Atlantic —the debates.) Relatedly, the stakes are simply too high to wallow in vibes, memes, or an obsessive focus on within-the-margin-of-error polls. Democracy can indeed be crushed by authoritarianism. But it can also be suffocated by the sort of trivia that often dominates social media.

And, finally, the Prime Directive of 2024: Never, ever become numbed by the endless drumbeat of outrages.

• Political analysis needs more witchcraft.
• Right-wing media are in trouble.

Today’s News

• The Senate dismissed the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and ruled that they were unconstitutional, ending his trial before it got under way.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson will proceed with a plan, backed by President Joe Biden, to vote on separate bills to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. The proposed move has raised criticism from some conservative representatives.
• Four Columbia University officials, including the president, Nemat Shafik, testified in a congressional committee hearing about student safety, free speech, and anti-Semitism on campus.
• The Trump Trials : The first days of the criminal case against Donald Trump have been mundane, even boring—and that’s remarkable, George T. Conway III writes.
• The Weekly Planet : The cocoa shortage could make chocolate more expensive forever, Yasmin Tayag writes.

Explore all of our newsletters here.

Evening Read

Something Weird Is Happening With Caesar Salads

By Ellen Cushing

On a November evening in Brooklyn, in 2023, I was in trouble (hungry). I ordered a kale Caesar at a place I like. Instead, I got: a tangle of kale, pickled red onion, and “sweet and spicy almonds,” dressed in a thinnish, vaguely savory liquid and topped with a glob of crème fraîche roughly the size and vibe of a golf ball. It was a pretty weird food. We are living through an age of unchecked Caesar-salad fraud. Putative Caesars are dressed with yogurt or miso or tequila or lemongrass; they are served with zucchini, orange zest, pig ear, kimchi, poached duck egg, roasted fennel, fried chickpeas, buffalo-cauliflower fritters, tōgarashi -dusted rice crackers. They are missing anchovies, or croutons, or even lettuce … Molly Baz is a chef, a cookbook author, and a bit of a Caesar obsessive—she owns a pair of sneakers with “CAE” on one tongue and “SAL” on the other—and she put it succinctly when she told me, “There’s been a lot of liberties taken, for better or for worse.”

Read the full article.

More From The Atlantic

• The Jews aren’t taking away TikTok.
• Women in menopause are getting short shrift.
• The self-help queen of TikTok goes mainstream.

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Look. These photos , compiled by our photo editor, show the importance of bicycles in World War II.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/columbia-university-says-its-making-important-progress-with-gaza-protesters

Columbia University says it’s making ‘important progress’ with Gaza protesters, extends negotiations

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University averted another confrontation between students and police early Wednesday, but the situation remained tense with campus officials saying it would continue talks with pro-Palestinian protesters for another 48 hours.

WATCH: Colleges struggle with allowing protests and preventing antisemitism and intimidation

University President Minouche Shafik had set a midnight deadline to reach an agreement on clearing an encampment of protesters on campus but the school extended negotiations, saying it was making “important progress.” Student protesters had committed to dismantling and removing a significant number of tents, the New York Ivy League university said in a statement.

On Wednesday about 60 tents remained at the encampment, which appeared calm, with students going in and out — one girl holding a toothbrush. A woman spoke on a loudspeaker about the reasons for the protest. Security remained tight around campus, with identification required and police setting up metal barricades.

Standoffs also persisted at other universities across the country, including California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where protesters this week used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block a building’s entrance and barricade themselves inside. And new student encampments continued to pop up, including at Brown University in Rhode Island and Harvard University in Massachusetts.

Police first tried to clear the encampment at Columbia last week, when they arrested more than 100 protesters. But the move backfired, acting as an inspiration for other students across the country to set up similar encampments and motivating protesters at Columbia to regroup.

Students protesting Israel’s war with Hamas are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling its monthslong conflict. Dozens have been arrested on charges of trespassing or disorderly conduct. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.

The reprieve at Columbia came hours before Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson planned to visit and meet with Jewish students to address concerns about antisemitism on college campuses.

A sign requiring university students to produce school ID cards to access campus amid pro-Palestinian protests is seen outside Columbia University in New York City, April 23, 2024. Photo by Ted Everett/PBS NewsHour

Columbia said it had agreed with protest representatives that only students would remain at the encampment and they would make it welcoming, banning discriminatory or harassing language.

Elsewhere, at the University of Minnesota, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar attended a protest late Tuesday, hours after nine protesters were arrested on the campus when police took down an encampment in front of the library. Hundreds had rallied in the afternoon to demand their release.

Omar’s daughter was among the demonstrators arrested at Columbia last week.

Also Tuesday night, police arrested more than 200 protesters blocking traffic in Brooklyn, near the home of Sen. Chuck Schumer, during a non-college demonstration demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. The protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace on the second night of Passover.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on U.S. college campuses in a video statement released Wednesday, saying the response of several university presidents has been “shameful” and calling on state, local and federal officials to intervene.

At Cal Poly Humboldt, protesters chanted, “We are not afraid of you!” before officers in riot gear pushed into them at the building’s entrance, video shows. Student Peyton McKinzie said she was walking on campus Monday when she saw police grab one woman by the hair and another student with their head bandaged for an injury.

“I think a lot of students are in shock about it,” she said.

Three students were arrested, according to a statement from the school, which shut down the campus through Wednesday. Students had occupied a second campus building Tuesday.

READ MORE: Columbia cancels in-person classes as pro-Palestinian protests sprout across U.S. campuses

Students at some protests were hiding their identities. At an encampment of about 40 tents at the heart of the University of Michigan’s campus in Ann Arbor, almost every student wore a mask, which was handed to them when they entered.

Student protesters declined to identify themselves to reporters, saying they feared retribution by the university. Organizers of the protest said some students who had participated in prior protests at Michigan had been doxxed and punished. But some students passing by shouted at the protesters to remove their masks and show their faces.

The upwelling of demonstrations has left universities struggling to balance campus safety with free speech rights. Many long tolerated the protests, but are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline, citing safety concerns.

At New York University this week, police said 133 protesters were taken into custody and all had been released with summonses to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.

More than 40 protesters were arrested Monday at an encampment at Yale University.

Protesters continue to maintain the encampment on Columbia University campus, after a tense night of negotiations, in support of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, April 24, 2024. Photo by Caitlin Ochs/Reuters

Harvard this week limited access to its famous Harvard Yard to those with school identification. Protesters said they set up a camp in the yard with 14 tents and about 30 people Wednesday, after a rally against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

Literature doctoral student Christian Deleon said he understood why the Harvard administration may be trying to avoid protests but said there still has to be a place for students to express what they think.

“We should all be able to use these kinds of spaces to protest, to make our voices heard,” he said.

Ben Wizner, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said college leaders face extremely tough decisions because they have a responsibility to ensure people can express their views, even when others find them offensive, while protecting students from threats and intimidation.

Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire. Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists in various locations including Joey Cappelletti, Will Weissert, Larry Lage, Steve LeBlanc, Dave Collins, Jim Salter, Haven Daley, Jesse Bedayn, John Antczak and Joseph Krauss.

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Opinion | An NPR editor is now a former NPR editor after his resignation

Uri berliner, an npr business editor who wrote a scathing essay about his organization in another publication, no longer works at npr..

This is how I led my newsletter on Tuesday:

When a senior editor at NPR recently wrote a 3,500-word essay for another outlet, blasting where he works and saying that NPR had “lost America’s trust,” my first thought, quite frankly, was, “ … and he still works there?”

We now have an answer to that question. No, Uri Berliner, the business editor who wrote the scathing essay, no longer works at NPR.

But he wasn’t fired. He quit.

On Wednesday, one day after it was learned he was serving a five-day suspension, Berliner released this statement : “I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR that I cite in my Free Press essay.”

Berliner is talking about Katherine Maher, a former tech executive who took over as NPR’s CEO in January. In the past, well before she joined NPR, Maher criticized Donald Trump and embraced what could be viewed as progressive causes on social media. It should be noted that the CEO at NPR is not involved in editorial decisions at the network.

Last week, after Berliner’s essay appeared in The Free Press, Maher wrote to staff (in a memo that was then published online ), “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”

After Berliner’s essay appeared, NPR chief news executive Edith Chapin responded by telling staff, “We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories. We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.”

Berliner’s essay is being embraced and amplified by many on the right, including former President Donald Trump and conservative activist Christopher Rufo. Meanwhile, much of NPR’s staff was outraged by their colleague’s essay.

The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin wrote , “Mr. Berliner’s essay stirred up a hornet’s nest of criticism of NPR and made Mr. Berliner something of a pariah within the network. Several employees told The New York Times that they no longer wished to work with him, and his essay was denounced by Edith Chapin, the network’s top editor.”

Steve Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” wrote on Substack , “This article needed a better editor. I don’t know who, if anyone, edited Uri’s story, but they let him publish an article that discredited itself. … A careful read of the article shows many sweeping statements for which the writer is unable to offer evidence.”

“Morning Edition” host Leila Fadel told The Washington Post’s Elahe Izadi , “Many feel this was a bad faith effort to undermine and endanger our reporters around the country and the world, rather than make us a stronger and more powerful news organization. He wrote what I think was a factually inaccurate take on our work that was filled with omissions to back his arguments.”

Mullin reported that “about 50” NPR employees signed a letter written to Maher and Chapin calling for a public rebuke of the “factual inaccuracies and elisions” in Berliner’s essay.

Then came Berliner’s resignation.

Mullin wrote, “In an interview, Mr. Berliner said his decision to resign from NPR coalesced early this week after an email exchange with Ms. Maher. He said in the interview that he could infer from one of her emails that a memo she had sent to employees last week about workplace integrity was referring to him even though he had not been mentioned by name. In the email, which was sent to Mr. Berliner on Monday, Ms. Maher said her memo ‘stands for itself in reflecting my perspective on our organization.’”

Berliner told Mullin, “Everything completely changed for me on Monday afternoon.”

Actually, it seemed as if everything changed when he wrote his essay for The Free Press.

Remembering a great journalist

Kim Christensen, a former Los Angeles Times investigative reporter who was a part of three Pulitzer Prize-winning projects, has died from cancer. He was 71.

Christensen was a part of two teams that won Pulitzers in the prestigious Public Service category while at the Los Angeles Times in 2011 and The Oregonian in 2001. He helped The Orange County Register win a 1996 Pulitzer for Investigative Reporting.

The Los Angeles Times’ Doug Smith described Christensen as a “dogged reporter beloved by colleagues for his wry humor, collegiality, graceful writing and incisive mind, but above all his humility.”

Tampa Bay Times executive editor Mark Katches told me, “Anyone who worked with him knew that he was incredibly gifted. I worked with Kim at the OC Register and teaming with him as a reporter was among the highlights of my career. He was funny, smart and as talented as they come.”

Katches told me he worked with Christensen on a project that ended with some shady charity players going to prison. Katches added, “He made everything and everyone around him better.”

Check out Smith’s story for more details on Christensen’s life and career.

The Academy Awards were more than a month ago and former President Donald Trump is still riled up over host Jimmy Kimmel. You might recall that Kimmel closed the Oscars ceremony by reading a post that Trump wrote about him. It got a big laugh from the celebrity crowd, especially when Kimmel said, “Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”

On his late-night show on ABC, Kimmel has continued to roast Trump over his legal issues and did so again Tuesday night. That led Trump to unleash a rant on Truth Social at 8:18 a.m. Wednesday.

Trump called him “Stupid Jimmy Kimmel” and criticized his performance as the Oscars host. Trump then bizarrely wrote, “… he stumbled through announcing the biggest award of all, ‘Picture of the Year.’ It was a CLASSIC CHOKE, one of the biggest ever in show business, and to top it off, he forgot to say the famous and mandatory line, ‘AND THE WINNER IS.’ Instead he stammered around as he opened the envelope.”

Actually, it wasn’t Kimmel who did that. It was actor Al Pacino who didn’t list the nominees and went straight to announcing “Oppenheimer” as Best Picture. Clearly, Trump was confused.

Although again, Kimmel got the last laugh, retweeting Trump’s rant and writing , “In fairness to our former President, many stable geniuses confuse me with Al Pacino….”

Hugh Grant agrees to settlement

Actor Hugh Grant, shown here last December. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Actor Hugh Grant says he has settled his lawsuit against the U.K. tabloid The Sun for what he calls “an enormous sum of money.” Grant accused The Sun, which is part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, of snooping on him by unlawfully tapping his phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home.

Grant wrote on X that he didn’t want to settle, saying, “I would love to see all the allegations that they deny tested in court. But the rules around civil litigation mean that if I proceed to trial and the court awards me damages that are even a penny less than the settlement offer, I would have to pay the legal costs of both sides. My lawyers tell me that that is exactly what would most likely happen here. Rupert Murdoch’s lawyers are very expensive. So even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for something approaching £10 million in costs. I’m afraid I am shying at that fence.”

The Associated Press reported , “Grant is among several celebrities, including actress Sienna Miller, soccer star Paul Gascoigne and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm who have settled claims against the publisher.”

Media tidbits

• My Poynter colleague Kelly McBride, who is NPR’s public editor, with “The relentless focus on Gaza.”
• The Associated Press’ David Bauder with “Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?”
• The New York Times’ Steven Kurutz with “From a Tiny Island in Maine, He Serves Up Fresh Media Gossip.”
• Los Angeles Times business columnist Michael Hiltzik with “With his Truth Social stock, Trump may be laughing all the way to the bank — but his investors have reason to weep.”
• Bloomberg’s Jamie Tarabay with “A Mansion, Two Dogs and a Wall: Inside The Conflict Between a Utah Billionaire And His Neighbors.”
• Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano with “L.A.’s ultimate heartbreak industry isn’t Hollywood. It’s local journalism.”
• In an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, Matt Pearce with “A new bill could help save California journalism. Google wants it dead.”
• Noah Eagle, one of the bright young sports broadcasters in the business, has been tapped by NBC to be the play-by-play voice for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as the medal round, at this summer’s Paris Olympics. Eagle, 26, is the son of Ian Eagle, a prolific announcer who calls NFL, NBA and college basketball for CBS and Turner Sports. Ian Eagle recently called the men’s Final Four. Noah is already an announcing veteran with his most high-profile work being the play-by-play announcer on NBC’s Big Ten college football broadcasts.
• Some of ESPN’s very best — Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler — with “’Voted off the island’: Inside Bill Belichick’s failed job hunt.”

More resources for journalists

• Webinar today: Covering transgender issues with authority and accuracy .
• Applications for Poynter Producer Project close tomorrow!
• Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative is a fellowship for public media journalists. Applications due April 22.
• Delve more deeply into your editing skills with Poynter ACES Intermediate Certificate in Editing .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] .

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, sign up here .

How Poynter transformed a hands-on workshop into an email course

Lessons learned from an experiment in building a new journalism project

Opinion | Journalists at Columbia are leading the coverage of their campus

The Columbia Daily Spectator has expertly documented tense protests over the Israel-Hamas war inside and outside the campus.

Q&A: Mina Kimes on her run from acclaimed sportswriter to Emmy-nominated NFL Analyst

The ESPN star explains how she got over her fears (and the trolls) to get better at discussing the sport she loves

No, Morton Salt and other table salts do not contain sand and glass

Excessive consumption of salt can cause hypertension because of the sodium it contains — not because of glass in the salt

Opinion | Everyday sexism has no place in sports journalism

The conversation around Gregg Doyel’s comments to Caitlin Clark failed to address larger, systemic issues that could lead to better journalism

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM MEANING SCOPE TYPES AND FUNCTIONS

As journalism has come to be thought of as a profession, an industry, and a culture, definitions have emerged that reflect various concerns and goals. Journalists, educators, and scholars all take different routes in thinking productively about the subject, and the effort to define journalism consequently goes in various directions. The various terms of news, the press, the news media, and information and communication themselves suggest profound differences in what many think of consider journalism and what they expect from journalists. Although the term journalist in the past initially denotes someone who systematically keeps a public record of events in a given time frame, today it is applied to individuals with a range of skills, including publication, photography, field production, Internet provision, and blogging. This paper provides an overview of what campus journalism is - its meaning, scope, types, and functions.

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Hugo de Burgh

A B S T R A C T This article argues that journalism can be taught as, and should be regarded as, a serious academic discipline and not simply a vocational training. Trends in society and polity place new responsibilities on, and require a better education of journalists. They must be equipped to make essential contributions as analysts and brokers of information. Journalism education has aspects specific to it: the particular balance of academic, applied and occupational learning; simulations of real working experience and engagement with the world; the conformity to professional standards of behaviour; the involvement with local communities; the application of the competency concept in assessment criteria; the high degree of transferability of skills, particularly research and composition skills. This combination can make for stimulating courses which provide a useful base for many types of work in later life and which compare favourably with other social science and humanities disciplines.

The International Encyclopedia of Journalism Studies

Donica Mensing

This entry summarizes the important role of higher education in the preparation of journalists around the globe. Colleges and universities are the most important source of education for journalists, and through curricula and research, influence journalistic trends and practices. Thousands of journalism education programs now exist on six continents, and many thousands of students graduate annually in journalism and related fields. This professionalization of the journalistic workforce impacts how journalists conceive of their roles, how the journalism industry operates, and how journalism is understood and practiced around the world. As journalism as a field undergoes profound shifts, educators are also changing what and how they teach, refining and defining their mission and purpose.

Urosia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

The development of online journalism has generated a convergent media environment. This study is based on the assumption that the development of this new form of journalism plays a pivotal role in the transformation of the dynamics of professional practices, news production process as well as audience use and participation. It concentrates on investigating how and the extent to which this role is observed and can be explained in the context of Northern Cyprus. In this regard, it is argued that the prevalent journalism education curriculum offered in universities should be structured and diversified to include online journalism. Consequently, such will enable an increased focus on this environment in which multimedia opportunities, interactivity and hypertext possibilities can be found. On the other hand, while the concept of 'Citizen Journalism' has increased in parallel with the widespread use of new media opportunities such as social media; the findings in the present study suggest that the education on internet technology should be spread throughout the different social layers of society.

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An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended

FILE - The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) stands on North Capitol Street on April 15, 2013, in Washington. A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal reviews resigned on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR’s new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR’s business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they’re not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations’ approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump’s presidency.

“There’s an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It’s frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It’s almost like an assembly line.”

He said he’d brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay’s wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner’s assessment of the outlet’s journalism and the way it went about its work.

It’s not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher’s past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR’s own story about the 40-year-old executive’s appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

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