In the last 18 months, much has changed regarding the landscape of student media right here at John Brown University. On March 1, 2021, students were informed that the Communication major, whose department had been the primary supporter of student journalism, and whose lone full-time faculty member served as a supervisor for this newspaper at the time, was being cut by the university. It was noted, in an editorial written and released on the same day, that “this puts our future and work as student journalists on the chopping block.”
This decision led many students, including those working for this newspaper, to make the decision to transfer, as the university would not accommodate students wishing to graduate as a Communication major that were not already far along on their course hours. These actions, in addition to similar actions present in the University of Central Arkansas’s handling of the termination of their African and African American Studies major, were described in a Threefold editorial in February as the product of Arkansas universities being “incapable of doing the one thing we all ask of an educational institution: investing in its students. Universities across the nation continue to be run like businesses, not institutions, failing to serve and invest in their students.”
Since then, more changes have occurred surrounding student journalism at JBU. We were recently moved from our home of 10 years in the Learning Resource Center in the former Communication department hallway, lovingly named “The Triangle,” into a much smaller space on the second floor of the Cathedral. As of this writing, construction on changes to the former Triangle has not progressed since students returned to campus in August. Meanwhile, we have faced challenges from faculty and staff over the last year questioning our integrity and talents as student journalists. Overall, the obstacles have been many. Despite that, student journalism continues to persevere.
Organizations and important figures across the industry have honored our work. During the summer, Threefold journalists have received awards from multiple organizations that span state, regional and national levels. We have reported on pressing issues that affect individuals across this campus, such as JBU’s complicated past on Title IX issues, and across the world, such as discrimination in the Ukranian refugee crisis. As we begin the new school year, we aim to continue this momentum as we look to move the needle forward for student journalism.
As the last few years have shown, good journalism is essential. Good journalism aims to inform, speak truth to power and act in an ethical manner that prioritizes the public’s trust. In a time of increasing political polarization, and in a time where it seems like more and more people in the industry are steering away from these vital goals, not only is good journalism essential to a functioning society, but so is the ability to train and develop good journalists. The Threefold Advocate has and will continue to look to rise to the occasion in pursuit of these goals, no matter the obstacles, as long as we exist on this campus.