Media

Illinois Times covers media well

The Illinois Times, a weekly and online newspaper based in Springfield (Ill.) does a good job of reporting on local media in the central Illinois region.

Recently, the Illinois Times wrote an in depth piece about Illinois Statehouse News, an online newspaper that started in 2009 and has broke a number of stories about Illinois state politics. The May 10 piece about Illinois Statehouse News questioned its conservative ownership but also reported that its coverage to this point seems fair.

Media

College newspaper advisers caught in the middle of controversies

Should a student newspaper run the name of a female rape victim if she spoke in a public forum on the topic and gave those at the forum her name?

This is an appropriate question to ask in a journalism ethics class when discussing what should and should not be covered and how to go about covering it. But the question becomes more intriguing when following the reaction to the story that was run in a college newspaper.

Media

USA Today piece paints bleak picture for college newspapers

The USA Today ran a piece about the plight of many college newspapers and their uncertain future. Gateway Journalism Review’s next issue devotes a portion of its magazine to this issue. What problems do college newspapers face and what are they doing to alleviate those problems.

This issue affects more than just college campuses. College newspapers are breeding grounds for tomorrow’s journalists. Tomorrow’s professionals are today’s students. Perhaps the answers to today’s problems in the professional newsroom will be answered by the innovations needed in college newsrooms. Or maybe college newspapers will continue to try the methods professional newsrooms are using. Maybe students can make them work.