Student newspapers from throughout the region meet to discuss college journalism

By Jackson Hare, Campus News Editor

Xavier Newswire welcomed eight universities surrounding the Cincinnati area to Arrupe Overlook last Saturday to this year’s intercollegiate journalism conference.

Xavier hosted this conference for the first time in Fall 2019 with the intention to make it a regular occurrence every other year. While COVID-19 disrupted plans for a 2020 conference, nine advisors of student newspapers from the respective universities revisited plans for a 2023 intercollegiate journalism conference, meeting this past summer to host it once again.

Approximately 52 student journalists from their respective universities, including Miami University, Wright State University, Cedarville University, Northern Kentucky University, Capital University and University of Cincinnati, joined Newswire’s staff to engage in discussion regarding journalism and the new digital age. 

A few leaders from each newspaper shared highlights  of successes and major issues from their coverage in the past year in the opening panel. 

After, several breakout sessions also fostered dialogue led by 14 guests from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News, the Cincinnati Business Courier, the Cincinnati Magazine, the Butler County Journal News and Cincinnati City Beat. Students participated in these various breakout sessions, as they chose from an assortment of journalistic topics, including advanced storytelling, the use of social media, incorporating artificial intelligence into the newsroom, developing a nose for news and the use of visuals and interactive media.

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. to make it on time to the conference, Capital University’s The Chimes Editor-in-Chief Adrian Suppes felt the conference was a great opportunity to meet other passionate writers.

“It’s really important to be able to meet all these people — to be in these environments,” Suppes said. 

“You never know who you’re going to be working with in 10 years. That could be somebody that was in this room,” he continued.

Students were provided with free lunch courtesy of the Society of Professional Journalists, including a variety of different sandwiches from Jason’s Deli, while they heard from keynote speakers from WCPO-TV.

WCPO-TV’s Kristen Swilley commented on the coming together of enthusiastic student journalists, saying it was a promising display.

“This is a difficult industry and public opinion on this is all over the place at the time, so it takes bravery. I’m glad we have a lot of brave people who are willing to do the tough and important work that people deserve to hear,” Swilley said.

The event concluded wit an open discussion about the common problems the student newspapers often face. This included how to retain writers, how to engage with administration on sensitive issues, how to deal with backlash from controversial articles and how to create a diverse newsroom. Students then exchanged strategies by which they attempted to resolve said issues. 

The University of Cincinnati’s The News Record Editor-in-Chief Allison Kiehl expressed that the conference served as an opportunity to collaborate with one another to improve.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet our peers and continue developing our craft,” Kiehl said.

“At the end of the day, we’re all working to develop professionally and to also make sure that our audience and our readers have the information they need and deserve,” she continued. 

Among the several strategies shared in regards to helping retain writers and maintaining a strong newsroom culture, Newswire staff discussed the role of extracurricular activities outside of the newsroom, inviting attendees to a social gathering later that night.

A few students from Northern Kentucky University’s The Northerner joined Newswire staff following the event to continue the conversations and connections made during the conference.

The Northerner’s Arts & Life Editor Killian Baarlaer attended the social gathering and reflected that it was an enriching experience.

“I’ve always just seen (Xavier) as a place that I drive to from time to time — driving into Xavier to get to somewhere else,” Baarlaer said. 

“When I got invited to come to this event, I was very excited. I got to socialize on a level that I do with my peers, so I’m very lucky that Xavier has people that are very inviting, will let me enter their personal spaces and will let me just enjoy myself,” he concluded.