We are living and experiencing historic moments. As student journalists, we have been able to cover those stories and tell our community what is happening with fair and balanced reporting.
We have learned from trial and error how to craft articles, master interview skills, do deep research and tell the stories that are important for our readership: Mercer students.
As now The VOICE stands as one of the best two-year newspapers in the nation. We are improving every day. It’s nice to win awards which are important in the world of journalism and on our resumes, but we are constantly trying to improve to maintain the highest standards of journalism.
The most important and essential job of a journalist, no matter if it’s a student, a senior reporter or an editor is that we all want to give a voice to the voiceless, inform our communities and hold accountable the institutions that govern us.
That duty to be the watchdogs of the world is why the press is also known as the “Fourth Estate.” As members of the “Fourth Estate” on the local level, we have a special role as we are often the only ones who can hold city councils, administrations, and local judges accountable and tell every story.
We understand that as part of the school newspaper we have an obligation to always report truth, facts and cover the topics that are genuinely newsworthy. Some stories are painful, such as the death of a fellow student or community member. Some are controversial. They are sometimes even painful for us to write, but we know our readers need to stay informed and get accurate information. Some stories require us to report on the operation of the college when it has a direct impact on the students, our readers. Those stories need to be told.
In order to achieve a broad range of coverage, you must have a dedicated, well trained staff. At a two-year institution, it is hard to develop a team of reporters. Two years is not enough time to learn everything, and not everyone joins their paper right at the beginning of their first year. It is even harder when students are taking a full load of classes, participates in sports and are either full or part-time workers.
Nevertheless, each year The VOICE staff rebuilds itself. It is a diverse team of individuals who are committed to their education and believe that doing an extracurricular activity such as the school newspaper is worth every minute invested in the newsroom.
This school year has been an exciting and successful time for The VOICE. At the start of the fall semester, we had only four staffers. Despite this, we were able to pull the first issue together in time for press day. We didn’t let the situation get us down. Instead, we saw a challenge and a new opportunity to incorporate new voices and add diversity to our team.
Having all kind of points of view in a paper is essential, especially when millennials are dying to share their opinions and tell the world what it matters for them and make sure authorities (administration and government) know what worries them.
Millennials are often criticized for being lazy and always attached to their phones. Yes, we might always have our phones, but this doesn’t mean we are not aware of and curious about the world around us. Reporting gives us a chance to address the problems and the things that need to be changed in order to have a better future, not only for us but for following generations.
As in any other field, a journalist needs tools to do the job. We don’t need much but what we do need is essential to sustain a quality paper and train us for the job market that is waiting for us and which we are hungry to explore.
A notebook and pen are a journalist’s best friends. They are easy to get. An audio recorder is also essential. But The VOICE has struggled to get computers that work and we have no cameras for the staff. Despite limited resources, we were able to win 17 awards from the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association, including the General Excellence award and rank as finalists with seven nominations, two of which won, from the Society of Professional Journalists Region 1.
Several of our top awards were in photography, but the photos were taken with cellphone cameras. Those of us who are graduating hope that the paper can get several DSLR cameras for future staffers because cell phones don’t train journalists for the modern newsroom.
It is not just The VOICE that is struggling for resources. Many college papers are and some of them are facing funding cuts as a form of censorship. A movement called #SaveStudentNewsrooms has developed to raise awareness of the problem, and The VOICE supports it.
But we also understand that image conscious administrations are often reluctant to allow students to report on the institutions’ strengths and weaknesses. It is not always easy to recognize that tolerating criticism actually demonstrates a serious commitment to student success. Although The VOICE receives its share of criticism, Mercer has not censored and has often been responsive to the feedback directly from the students that they otherwise could never get.
We know the college has a tight budget, but what the college gets in return for their investment is unmatched. Staffers develop polished writing skills and succeed wherever they go.
We can see this in VOICE alumni. Recent students are now in Ph.D. programs, working for international companies and others as journalists in all different fields. One VOICE alumnus from 2009 is now working for The New York Times. Another has started her own journalism program for students in Vietnam. We often invite alumni back and they always recall how important the school newspaper was in their lives, not just because of the academic and journalistic opportunities, but because of the people they were able to meet.
Our current staffers agree. At The VOICE we maintain professionalism, but we aren’t just colleagues, we are friends. We are fortunate to work with people from all kinds of backgrounds. We have a mix of cultures that complement one another and deepen and enrich our work.
We encourage our administrators to continue to support The VOICE and encourage students to join their school newspapers. It not only looks good on a resume but teaches you to write well, share your voice and be part of history.
Journalists are at the forefront of monumental change now more than ever. By bringing the facts to the world it makes it possible to make a difference.
