Letter from the Editor: Journalists at Princeton Are You

School nights for The Daily Princetonian team are different from those of most students. Each evening we diligently shepherd the paper from reporters’ ideas to editors’ critiques to copy staffers and finally into the hands of our designers, who place our careful labors onto the physical pages of the paper and the online world. A minute before midnight, we send our files to a printer in Philadelphia who runs them through their machines, trucks these preciously creased paper squares back to New Jersey, and delivers the broadsheet newspaper that students open each weekday next to their morning orange juice.

The paper you are holding in your hands right now represents the work of nearly 200 students, who, right now, are all over the globe, but they will re-gather in the fall at 48 University Place, otherwise known as the newsroom. Some of these articles are newly reported, and some are stories that we believe the Great Class of 2022 had to know before stepping onto campus this fall.

The ‘Prince,’ our paper’s nickname among Tigers, has been been a daily weekday publication since 1876. Just like many other publications, we have modernized. We are now a hybrid print and digital organization that produces content through manifold mediums. We are always trying new things, and our diversity of opportunities means that all kinds of students can find their campus ‘home’ in our newsroom. Our staff is composed of intrepid and dogged reporters, informed columnists, experienced editors, photographers, graphic designers, business staffers, videographers, audio journalists, and more. News happens fast, and with an online platform, we’re always looking to deliver it the best way possible.

Journalists at Princeton are neuroscientists, pre-med students, philosophers, sociologists, mathematicians, artists, computer scientists, pre-law students, athletes, musicians, poets, and writers. In other words, journalists at Princeton are you. The ‘Prince’ is a college community bringing together minds from throughout the Best Damn Place of All. This diversity is vital — not just for its own sake, but because an increasingly dynamic and global campus requires and demands a representative newsroom. That’s the only way the journalism from our newsroom will truly serve its Princeton community.

Ultimately, journalism — even at the collegiate level — is about serving the public and the community with resolute integrity. By no means is the ‘Prince’ perfect, but with every paper we send to print and every digital article on which we click publish, we are seeking to uphold these journalistic standards.

Working for a college newspaper teaches you to thrive in an ever-changing world no matter what vocation you pursue. No matter what role you play — ensuring financial viability with our business team or bolstering the vanguard of editorial staffers driving campus discourse — you are a critical part of your community. 2018 is no friend of journalists, but that doesn’t make us less essential to our communities. Rather, it does the opposite.

Even if you don’t join our team, speak up: comment on our digital platforms, submit a tip, ask a question, and push us to keep raising our journalistic standards. College is a time to step up and engage, and there is no shortage of ways to do so. We look forward to welcoming you to campus.

Cheers to the first day of the rest of our lives,

Marcia

Marcia Brown is a history major from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She can be reached at eic@dailyprincetonian.com or on Twitter at @Marcia_Brown9 with any questions.