Throughout this semester, I have tried to challenge The Cavalier Daily. As a student-run organization, it has the special role of broadcasting news and information to the University community. And its voices range widely. Yet all are rationalized because of the position of “the independent student newspaper,” both printed and pixelated, on Central Grounds. In other words, being a part of The Cavalier Daily, like being part of any other organization, makes one different from other students. One receives a platform as a writer, editor or significant other with membership.
Why does this matter? What’s wrong with stirring up Grounds with some grounds for discussion and reflection? The Cavalier Daily does a fine job in supplying its readers with stimulating content. Not only does it engage with issues on Grounds and in Charlottesville, thanks to the perspectives of various University pupils. It also isn’t afraid to cover controversies that occur in those communities, bringing them to the attention of rapt readers. That’s essential to the health of our free speech and democracy, isn’t it?
A couple things concern me. The University is a humongous place, firstly. It roofs tens of thousands of students, professors, alumni and administrators under its figurative Rotunda. What could possibly be relevant, news-wise, to all these parties (other than delays and emergencies, of course)? What stories could impact most of them? That’s the challenge for outlets like The Cavalier Daily: To disseminate stories that will make us, at the very least, rethink our quotidian lives here. The rest remains up to the reader. But does that formula always succeed?
Of course not — such a task is, as a whole, impossible. This outlet can’t appeal to everyone here. But it doesn’t quench the thirst for writers who can try to maximize the breadth of The Cavalier Daily’s coverage. Who can make it the best paper at the University and cast its net into the multitudinous seas of people here? Only so many, it seems. There’s a limitless amount of material to write about. But as students enter and leave this University each year, so too do this paper’s seasoned staffers. And with this amount of turnover, the definition of a “good story” is constantly changing.
Yet The Cavalier Daily’s position hasn’t quite changed in all this activity. It’s structured like any other club, where a hierarchy of editors and managers keeps watch over the producers and production of content. Those who stick with the organization during their time at the University, then, might ultimately be rewarded with a higher position. The group feeds into itself and produces more willing to uphold its popular ideals. But what does that mean for the journalism it churns out? What becomes of a “good story”?
At a school like the University, where there’s always something controversial happening, The Cavalier Daily must not let its political positioning overwhelm the democratic duties it possesses. What do I mean here? The organization must be conscious of its own viewpoints and biases when it comes to publishing “good stories” for readers. But it must also realize the magnitude of its stance at Virginia and take advantage of it for the right reasons. As its crew alters each year, it risks forgetting the obligation I’ve tried to outline throughout the semester: the propagation and democratization of diverse and critical voices on campus. Even as student journalists, that should be the goal.
And credit where it’s due: This outlet has done that this semester, with its stories on issues like controversial chalking and the DREAMers-Student Council fiasco. It hasn’t forgotten such a role, and hopefully it will carry its torch in the coming years. My wish, though, is that the duty of student and professional journalists isn’t lost in the appeal of organizational prowess. It’s easy to want to be part of something larger than yourself and to join a club because it’s popular and politically relevant. We’re at the University, after all. But it’s better to be aware of why you’re doing those things and how they relate to others, too.
I sincerely hope The Cavalier Daily continues to attract all sorts of students wanting to produce stories that aren’t good or bad, but civilly critical — unafraid to push the buttons, and not prod them into oblivion. They will hopefully give the community content that will make readers think about themselves in relation to their experiences here and not just produce individuals looking for résumé material. Such is the ideal I’ve tried to stand by and write with, even if I have failed at it.
I thank you for reading.
Sasan Mousavi is the Public Editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com or on Twitter at @CDPublicEditor.
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