The editors-in-chief of The Nubian Message and Technician joined their counterparts from other student publications to talk about the impact of their reporting.

Skye Crawford of Technician and Nevaeh Sturdivant of The Nubian Message joined the editors-in-chief of The Appalachian (Appalachian State University), Campus Echo (NC Central University), and The Daily Tar Heel (UNC-Chapel Hill). 

The panel discussion, hosted by the NC Local News and Information Summit on March 27, delved into how student journalists are reporting on extreme weather events, free speech on campus and the use of AI in the newsroom.

Sturdivant talked about leading The Nubian Message’s reporting on underrepresented communities with empathy and care, as well as breaking news on big stories like the rollback of DEI programs on campus. 

Crawford presented on Technician’s ongoing coverage of Poe Hall and how that has been impactful for the community, both on campus and among alums and former faculty and staff members. 

Meg Frantz, editor-in-chief of The Appalachian, talked about how she and her staff have covered the recovery from Hurricane Helene in Boone. She said the mental health of her staff has been at the forefront of her tenure.

Ronni Butts, co-editor-in-chief of Campus Echo at NC Central University, talked about the challenges of getting her staff to ask tough questions when doing accountability reporting on that campus. 

Alli Pardue, editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel, highlighted the newspaper’s coverage of free speech, and how the newspaper polled faculty members on their thoughts about academic freedom.

Editorial advisor Ben McNeely moderated the panel. He said that student publications are filling the gaps where local news outlets are shuttering, and that student journalists are stepping up to serve their communities. 

“These editors are leading their publications with tenacity, empathy, and a whole lot of fearlessness,” he said. “I think back to my time as a student journalist, and how the stories my friends and I covered directly impacted our community. I am seeing similar things happening in college newsrooms across the state, and these are the people making it happen.”

NC State Student Media is the learning lab for journalism and media production, with six student-run media outlets and a student-run business and marketing office. For more information, or to join one of our award-winning outlets, visit the Student Media website.