Letter from the editor’s desk: Telling the stories closest to home
Last week, I knew what I was going to write here. I spent the night before the semester began reading and re-reading what old editors-in-chief had to say in their welcome letters, picking up on common themes: building trust with readers, supporting student media, running a paper in unprecedented times. Then last week, one hour before our first staff meeting of the year, we received notice of an immediate shelter-in-place: RUPD was investigating a tragic homicide at Jones. Campus shut down, and everything stilled.
For better or for worse, journalism never stops. We always adapt to meet the needs of our peers and our readership. It’s our job to keep our community informed constantly, thoughtfully and accurately. I’ll admit it’s disconcerting, when your knee-jerk response to a tragedy is to spring into action. Our first front page of the year would have been a photo of the matriculation fireworks; not a memorial for our classmate. Our first editorial of the year was — honestly, we hadn’t planned it yet — likely going to be a cheeky commentary on the Night of Decadence or new university rankings; not a list of campus and community resources.
It’s difficult to report the news. It’s difficult to be the news. I have nothing but love and respect for my team, who came together during a scary, heartbreaking time, and did what they do best: Tell the story.
It has truly been the year of the student journalist. Last fall, The Daily Tar Heel’s front page coverage of a campus shooting made waves across the nation. In the spring, journalists from the Columbia Spectator and the Vanderbilt Hustler reported around-the-clock on the encampments, police interference and disciplinary action that rocked college campuses across the U.S. I’ve always believed that journalism starts locally, and that begins with the students telling the stories closest to home.
To any occasional Thresher reader, my name may seem familiar. This is my second year on the job. To put it simply, I didn’t feel my work at the Thresher was done just yet. Without any semblance of a formal journalism program at Rice, we’re the place to learn about reporting, editing, public relations, digital media and design. This year, I’m focusing on professional development, such as continued lunch and learn sessions with local journalists, hands-on editing sessions with new writers and workshops on everything from lede writing to photojournalism.
It’s a challenging job to tell the stories that affect us. Through tragedies and successes, we’ll continue to do it. For those of you who share our mission, or simply want to be involved, we have a place for you here.
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