Final Reflection: The Role of a Student Newspaper at Houghton College

Published: Sunday, April 25, 2010

Updated: Monday, May 3, 2010 11:05

colostate.edu

Three years on the staff of The Houghton Star has taught me that there is sometimes a disconnect between what the readers of the newspaper expect and what its staff is actually trying to accomplish. This editorial seeks to narrow that gap and offer some insight into the goals, function, and limits of a student newspaper at Houghton College.

Our constitution states, "The mission of The Houghton Star is to preserve and promote the values of dialogue, transparency and integrity that have characterized Houghton College since its inception. This will be done by serving as a medium for the expression of student thought and as a quality publication of significant campus news, Houghton area news, and events."

Professional journalists often claim that an independent press is a vital part of life in a democratic society. With independence comes the ability to report on all groups objectively, bringing a third party perspective to disputes without violating loyalties to one group or another. Although the size of the Houghton community requires that the student newspaper be supported by the Campus Services Budget (rather than through the sale of advertisements, like a truly independent newspaper), it has also been afforded a great deal of editorial independence by the college. In this way, The Houghton Star at least comes close to qualifying as an independent newspaper.

What does this actually mean when putting the newspaper together every week?

The newspaper has three different sections, and the content of each serves our mission in a different way. These sections are clearly labeled at the top of each page, but I suspect that these labels, like many things that are always in the same place, are often overlooked

First and foremost is Campus News. This section, located in the first three pages of the typical eight-page spread, seeks to keep the entire community informed about what is happening on campus in as straightforward and impartial a way as possible. People who are informed about their community are also the most likely to take an active role in it, and we hope that by reading the newspaper, our audience will be empowered to take a more active role in this community.

Most of the time, the Campus News section is uncontroversial. Occasionally, however, we cover sensitive subjects that not everyone wants to read about in the student newspaper. Two prominent examples of this are "OS Taskforce Releases Recommendations to Faculty, Staff" and "What it's Like to be Gay at Houghton," both printed last semester.

An argument against these "controversial" stories commonly runs as follows: "If a prospective parent was to pick up the newspaper or go online and read this article, what will they think about Houghton?" This is a valid concern, especially given the current focus on enrollment and retention. But I imagine (and hope) that for every reader who turns away after reading an article about contested budget cuts or homosexual students at Houghton, another will be impressed by our willingness to address difficult issues head-on.

I also imagine (and hope) that people who are bothered by such "controversial" articles will read the paper in its entirety or browse our website to get a more complete picture of life at Houghton, not just the "controversial" bits. The same week we ran the article "What it's Like to be Gay at Houghton," for instance, we also covered the success of the Turkey Drive and a youth Lego competition. Reality is not simple or one-dimensional, and the wide array of stories in the Campus News section is meant to reflect reality, not some sunnied and simplified version of it.

Another key responsibility of a student newspaper is to act as a campus watchdog, telling stories that people wouldn't learn about otherwise. If the decision-makers on campus know that what they do will be reported in the newspaper, they are less likely to do something irresponsible. If there is something important happening on campus that no one is talking about, good or bad, the newspaper is in the position to fill that informational void and start the conversation.

The Sports & Culture section, located on pages four and five, typically covers cultural events like sporting events, new exhibits in the art gallery, and musical performances. Sometimes these take a straightforward approach similar to that of Campus News articles, but often Sports & Culture articles take the form of a critical review.

As in any newspaper, the reviews printed in The Houghton Star reflect the opinions of the reviewer. The Editorial staff tries to assign reviews to students who know a thing or two about the event they are covering and have no personal stake in the success or failure of the performance; this is easier said than done. We do not instruct our reviewers to take either a positive or negative approach to their topic. The goal of these reviews is not to disparage the efforts of people working on campus, nor is it to dole out indiscriminate pats on the back.

The Commentary section, found on pages six and seven, is quite different than the Campus News and Sports & Culture sections. As its name suggests the Commentary section acts as a vehicle for student opinion. While the "From the Editor's Desk" column is reserved for the Editorial staff, the rest of the section is always open to student submissions in the form of commentary articles or letters to the editor. This year, we printed nearly every letter we received, only eliminating letters that were redundant or from an unknown source.

The Houghton Star's approach to the Commentary section is similar to author Wendell Berry's approach to essays. In an introduction to an essay by Courtney White, Berry writes: "Courtney and I know, of course, that some people are going to disagree with his thoughts, as some will disagree with mine. As essayists, we know that the purpose of an essay is not to deliver the final word. An essay's purpose is merely to take part in a conversation. So let the disagreements come. Long live the conversation!"

The Commentary section strives to keep alive the conversation by printing well-argued articles from a wide variety of viewpoints, understanding that not everyone will agree with them, but hoping that they will prompt further thought, stimulate meaningful dialogue, and perhaps a greater understanding of the truth. While reading the Commentary section, it is important to keep in mind that it is participating in a conversation or many conversations, not delivering the final word.

Some have argued that because The Houghton Star is the only newspaper on campus, the Commentary section should seek to represent everyone who reads it. Nevermind the practical impossibility of representing every opinion held on campus, of what value is it to merely repeat what most students have already heard? For any given topic covered in the Commentary section, the newspaper is a catalyst for further thought and consideration, not a catalog of everything that has been said.

Finally, it's perhaps most important to understand that a student newspaper is accountable to its readers. I'll repeat what I wrote in the very first issue of this year's volume of The Houghton Star: "The success of The Houghton Star depends on its readers. Without lively dialogue, student newspapers are destined for failure. So we request your cooperation, knowing that without it we will fail. Write letters to the editor. Let us know when we've overstepped our bounds. Encourage us to continue digging when we haven't stepped far enough."