April 25 marks the unofficial Support Student Journalism Day. The social media campaign #SaveStudentNewsrooms was started by The Independent Florida Alligator and us at The Oswegonian will be taking part in this national call to action. Our staff members give you their thoughts on what student journalism means to them personally, as well as the community. Please read, share and help #SaveStudentNewsrooms.
Cole Parzych | Editor-in-Chief | Broadcasting & Mass Communication major | @ParzychCole
Working at The Oswegonian for three years has taught me many lessons. I could list them, but the goal of this national call to action is about more than just one person. #SaveStudentNewsrooms is about the continued spread of information to its communities. It is about the long nights these students work through at newspapers all over the U.S., for little or no pay. Their tireless work has helped inform the local community of speeches, crime, campus events, sports and many other important topics. Informed opinions and reviews also help keep the readers entertained and engaged with what is happening around them.
You may not see the need for student journalism, and that is fine. The real issue revolves around what the future holds. Journalism helps a democracy work. Without these students working hard in so many areas of print journalism, the world of journalism may soon cease to exist. These are the students you are going to see with bylines in the future. These are the students who will be breaking news that sweeps across the nation. Those students who volunteer their time outside of the classroom are the ones who will eventually be the people you rely on for unbiased and truthful reporting. That is why this is such a noteworthy cause.
Samantha Flavell | Managing Editor | Journalism & Graphic Design major | @Sammi_013
As a journalist you prepare yourself for people to not like what you say. The truth can be hard to hear, but it needs to be heard nonetheless. That is why #SaveStudentNewsrooms is so important. The Oswegonian is the independent student newspaper of Oswego State. We report on the campus and the surrounding community. The word independent is what is so important here because we report on stories that Oswego State’s public relations department may not choose to have shared, but that is what reporters do. We tell the truth.
As a student journalist it can be frustrating. Not everyone will take you seriously when you ask for an interview. They say you are “just a student.” We are the future of reporting though. Student journalists carry an important role in maintaining the first amendment on campus. Not everyone looks at The Oswegonian with as much pride as we do, and that is fine. It is not only for us but for every other student newsroom out there as well who each doing their part, volunteering time to bring the news to you. It may not be what you want to hear, but you should respect student newsrooms for publishing unbiased stories. Whether the newsroom itself is important to you, think about the first amendment as a whole because taking away student newsrooms is the first step in stamping out that free voice.
Dominick J. Lioto | Laker Review Editor | Broadcasting and Mass Communication major | @dom____lioto
Student journalism has become more important to me further into my college career. Granted, I sort of experienced it from the outside looking in as I traditionally write entertainment reviews and the occasional opinion piece, but seeing what my co-workers invoked on our campus and in our community is genuinely inspiring. They are putting themselves on the forefront to expose what needs light and start whatever the next conversation is that needs to happen. They do not do this for themselves. They do it for everybody that takes it for granted because it impacts these people more than they think.
Ben Grieco | Copy Editor | Journalism major | @BenGriecoSports
I may only be a freshman at Oswego State and only been a part of The Oswegonian for one year, but I would not trade this for the world. I am positive others in the office, those who I consider close friends, would agree. #SaveStudentNewsrooms is not just for those who want to write and be journalists. It is for those in the office with other jobs. Copy editing, graphic design, photography and finances are just a few and the list goes on and on. This newsroom specifically has refined my love for the field of reporting and writing, giving me so many opportunities that I could write a novel about. Majors such as journalism and broadcasting and mass communication need this outside-of-classroom experience. You can take all the journalism and broadcasting classes you want, but it is the real world experience that will land you that top class job in the future, even if it takes awhile to get there.
This opportunity that we have at The Oswegonian is basically like another class, an internship, if you will. Walking around campus, there are a lot of leftover papers in the stands that we leave around school, but that is okay. We have a website for a reason. Look at either one, or even both, and see why we are beaming with pride week in and week out for what we do. Do not just #SaveStudentNewsrooms because we want to, save them because we have to. As Dr. Arvind Diddi says time and time again, “seek truth and report it.” Only in this case, seek truth and save it.
Derek Smith | Opinion Editor | Journalism and Political Science major
Oswego State students and students across the country must band together to #SaveStudentNewsrooms. This matter is particularly important to future journalists and content creators but generally important to all college campuses. Students benefit immensely by engaging with one another through official platforms and campus culture is improved as a result. It will be a scary day when only professors and school administrators are the ones creating the dialogue on campus. Students need a voice on campus to influence both their schools and their peers. The future of public discourse can only be hopeful if student journalism is saved.
Ryan Zalduondo | Asst. Sports Editor | Journalism major | @RyanZalduondo1
Student journalism is essential on a college campus because it provides a platform for every student to use their voice, whether they choose to utilize it or not. Having the chance to be informed about things you otherwise would not be knowledgeable about makes the experience of being a college student much more fulfilling.
Alexander Gault-Plate | News Editor | Journalism major | @AlexBGault
Student journalism is one of the most important parts of a journalism education. Without a healthy student media organization, students of journalism would struggle to find a place to hone their abilities outside of class. Those who excel would struggle to find a place to stand out in. Those who write for student media show a specific dedication to the craft, as they are underpaid considering the amount of work they put in. Specifically, here at The Oswegonian, I have learned a lot more than many of my classes have offered me, learning how to deal with coworkers and publication requirements that often do not show up in a regular class setting.
Student journalism also keeps our education system honest. Universities and colleges are small government bodies in their own right, and without someone paying special attention to them, these places that we go to learn and grow would largely be ignored by larger media organizations. Look at the Syracuse University controversy unfolding now for a great example. The Daily Orange, a student newspaper, uncovered racism and other hate within a Greek organization that would have flown under the radar of the larger media organizations that are now paying attention to it. Student journalism is very important, and without healthy student media, all of the journalism world would suffer.
Jordan DeLucia | Copy Editor | Journalism and Political Science major | @jdelucia95
There is nothing, nothing at all more important than saving student news rooms in a time like 2018.
People all over the U.S. have been doing absolutely nothing but complaining about and bashing the world’s most prominent news organizations for “reporting fake news.” The most unfortunate part is that a lot of those same folks are likely supporters of defunding college news organizations. The question becomes: How do colleges expect to best prepare their students of communication for the real world without the facilities to practice and better their reporting and writing skills?
Without them, there is no hope for fair and honest news reporting, of any genre, in the United States.
