STAFF EDITORIAL: Why Lafayette needs journalists
September 4, 2018
Every week day, 1,874 students walk the halls of Lafayette. Among those students are the student journalists who call Room 137A their office. The daunting task of telling the stories that would otherwise not be told continuously challenges student journalists everyday. It is the duty of the three publications groups (News Production, Yearbook Production and Digital Media Production) to inform the community of the diverse and important voices that fill the halls of Lafayette.
One phrase often used in Room 137A is, “If it’s not covered, it’s like it never happened.” In the archives of the Image, thousands upon thousands of stories can be found— stories ranging from a state win in sports, to the death of a beloved classmate. Our stories keep track of the past and the present of Lafayette, and illustrate tomorrow’s storyline.
Lafayette has a rich history, and as student journalists, we strive to write the history book of our school. The stories we write are for our school, and are about our school; this kind of focus can’t be found in local newspapers. Many local publications aren’t able to highlight the important news that happens each day at Lafayette. Our goal is to tell the story only Lafayette can tell.
Recently, many changes have taken place in Rockwood including new school buses and changed start times. Our goal as a publication is to keep you updated and informed about what students may be impacted by.
In addition, we strive to advocate for all opinions and allow all stories to be heard. With the recent addition of our guest column, we hope each student and community member feels that they have a chance to voice their opinions.
But the importance of news coverage isn’t just pertinent to our school. As the United States of America was being framed into existence, Thomas Jefferson said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Today, media is being rebuked, often called fake news. But without great journalism, inspiration through other peoples’ stories cannot be achieved, voices aren’t heard as loud and the citizens of America would not be aware of the happenings of the government.
Throughout the history of this country, journalism has survived alongside America. Without journalism, the colonies unsure of the new, proposed constitution, would not have learned and debated the points that the founders set before them. In the beginning of this country, newspapers were used as a tool to inform the public of the important changes that were occurring. As student journalists at Lafayette, we hope to do the same.
26 letters make up our vocabulary. With those 26 letters, the Image and The Lancer Feed hope to highlight the stories of Lafayette to anyone who is willing to listen.
