Now more than ever, journalism and the press are under attack. Nationally, attacks on “fake news” are rampant. Locally, student journalism is disrespected and disregarded because of the age of the writers and columnists. People need to be more open to other opinions and make more of an effort to consume news that may not perfectly align with their own views.
College newspapers are a great place for young writers to gain valuable experience in their field. They allow an avenue for free speech and creative thought that many students need to grow as writers. The experience is often what a student needs to help find their career calling; not to mention, it looks great on a resume.
The opportunity to work and be passionate about an on-campus job is essential to career development. Many students who work on campus are in positions that may not further their careers in the future. College newspapers like The Daily Reveille offer students an on-campus experience that can build careers later in life.
College newspapers are a great way to spread local news and important information around a campus. With online content posted daily and print editions published weekly, newspapers like The Daily Reveille are essential in transmitting information about campus events, sports and news.
Some people seem to have an issue with college writers. They want to discredit their abilities and opinions because of their age. Just because someone is young, does not mean their opinion or thoughts are any less valuable than an older adult. Just because someone has different opinions than you, does not make them wrong.
The beauty and genius of a college newspaper is that it is run entirely by students, for students. It is about learning and gaining valuable, real life experience. It is not about pleasing everyone on Facebook or writing opinions people will agree with.
The opinion section of college newspapers is the birthplace of thoughts and conversations that otherwise may never be expressed. College is such a unique transitional time in the development of adult opinions, a time for experimenting and curating one’s personal viewpoints. Without an opinion section in college newspapers, the voice of the students would be utterly overlooked and unheard.
Writing for a college newspaper has been one of the most exciting and challenging things I have ever done. I have learned so much about myself as a writer and as a person through introspective thought about my opinions. I have honed in on skills such as writing, articulating arguments and creativity that I would have never been able to learn without this amazing opportunity.
I have also learned how to better take criticism and online comments with a grain of salt. Hearing others opinions and constructive feedback on my writing helps me to improve as a writer. Feedback is one of my favorite things about publishing my writing on an open platform.
While working for my college newspaper, I have learned how to best articulate my own thoughts and form arguments backed up by research. Many college students cannot say the same.
Sarah Grobety is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Atlanta, Georgia.
