Editorial | The importance of school newspapers

In light of the recent free speech news over at Penn State University, The Pitt News Editorial Board wants to make certain that students, staff and faculty are aware of the benefits a school newspaper brings to college campuses.

Penn State defunded its student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, by 53% and plans to have a complete elimination from the university budget by the 2024-25 school year. Despite countless petition signatures and letters of appeal to encourage the university to change their decision, the board of trustees signed off on their intentions earlier in July in order to “balance the budget.” This balancing also introduced an increase in tuition as well.

We hope that our fellow student journalists at Penn State are successful in combining forces with other PSU media groups. This funding model could be their ticket to being funded once again by the university.

While Penn State may be a larger school than the University of Pittsburgh with its own unique set of problems, we at The Pitt News are still wary. Both long-standing newspapers are successful and boast an alumni full of powerhouse writers who have gone to work at top publications and win top awards. Both — and really, all school newspapers — are staples to their college campuses, and needed in a variety of ways. 

A school newspaper is a one-stop shop for all the happenings on campus, the events taking place in the city and the opinions shared by students across campus. No other publication is as focused on one particular school as is their own. Learning about and trying to find events or groups on campus can be daunting, especially in your first few weeks on campus. That is why an operational and up-to-date campus news media source is imperative to college life and to assisting students all year round. And for staff, it is a great tool to learn about what their students are up to and know what kind of topics may be interesting to discuss in class.

But one of the big draws of a school newspaper is the writing itself and the opportunities it brings students interested in journalism. That is why the defunding of The Collegian is such terrible news, as it is a huge loss to the many journalism students attending PSU. Many may have even gone to Penn State solely to write for the famous PSU paper.

For those with an interest in writing and research, a school newspaper is a great place to hone those skills. Writers have the ability to write outside of class and in an environment they choose to participate in, helping them work on their abilities in a much more relaxed and enjoyable setting. And on top of all that, writing for a school publication gives many a unique topic of conversation during interviews for years to come and plenty of networking advantages.

The Collegian is a staple to the Penn State community, just as the Pitt News and every other school newspaper are staples to their home universities. Between the information shared to the valuable skill-building and networking opportunities a school newspaper provides, all students, staff and faculty should take full advantage of this resource. 

We here at TPN encourage everyone on campus to pick up a physical copy on their way to class or scroll through our website to check out the newest articles. To new and returning students who have a knack for writing and are interested, we highly encourage you to apply on our website and join the Pitt News team. And to those who have attended or are currently attending another school, we ask that you support your school newspaper and the students who work hard to keep it afloat.