If there’s something that moves you, we want to hear about it. Whether it’s a letter to the editor, submissions of art, or ideas for stories we might cover in the future, we want to hear what’s on your mind.
Why should you care about being involved with the Observer as a regular reader of our publication? This year, we’ve pushed for diversity as well as excellence in the newsroom, and it has already made a difference. Diversity in the newsroom creates more opportunities for better coverage on a broader range of topics, and because we want a newspaper that represents the interests and voices of the greater campus, we’ve chosen to encourage our staff to reflect and celebrate that difference.
What you may not even realize is that engaging with your city or campus newspaper is a way of exercising democracy and the right you have as a resident of the United States to participate in public discourse. If you think about it, a newspaper is essentially just an amplification of your first amendment right to free speech.
As journalists of your college paper, we are proud to represent you and the stories you care about every week in the Observer office (room 204 of Old Main). We have applied and elected to work in these positions as editors, staff writers, graphic designers, cartoonists, advertisers, videographers and photographers because we care about what you know, and we have been chosen for these positions because of our dedication to responsible, ethical, accurate and compassionate journalism.
But we can only produce the news you deserve if you’re willing to engage with us, as well. Never forget that news cannot be created in a vacuum – what kind of news story is one without any sources? It isn’t a news story. They require multiple viewpoints. It is our privilege and our responsibility to conduct the service of finding the truth in the stories you care about, not only for you but for all of us, as the life sustaining force behind the name “Augustana College.”
However, the power we have as a news source comes from your faith and your engagement with us, and we invite you to exercise your freedom of speech by talking with us and submitting ideas, whether to our email address ([email protected]) or by meeting any of our staff in person. Our office door is open and our email inbox is waiting. We invite you to lend us your voice.