In a world where the term “fake news” is used loosely and broadly, it’s tough to be a journalist. The general public seems to have gained a misrepresentation of news sources and their purpose. The problem may not necessarily lie in inaccurate information, but the public’s misunderstanding in the definition of a reputable source.

As journalists, we are taught that ethics are of the utmost importance. That means fact checking the sources you pull from, recording and writing quotes just as they come from one’s mouth, presenting information without bias and representing each side equally.

As student journalists we are still tasked with producing accurate and current news just as other competitive news outlets in the area. There is so much more work that goes into those 500 or so words you see printed on the page before you.

To produce a piece of writing ready for print, we are out in the field talking to subject matter experts and opinionated citizens trying to gather as much factual information as possible before sharing it with you.

Creating a newspaper is interviewing strangers every week, trying to meet deadlines constantly, staying in the newsroom until the early hours of the morning, copious amounts of coffee and learning new things every day. What makes it all worth it? Knowing we’re working to create a product that benefits and serves our campus and community.

The duty first and foremost of this newspaper is to produce accurate information independent from the university and unbiased from our own political or moral beliefs. As a university newspaper we get to cover a unique area of the media by reporting on how the local news affects students.

With each word we strive to represent the voices of the departments, students, faculty and people across NMU, the campus and the Marquette community.

We have chosen this path of representing the public because we believe your voice is important. When seeking information, we encourage you to look for sources putting forth the effort to produce real journalism. Stop into the newsroom and share your ideas with us, your opinions, your stories, your criticisms of our work. We’re journalists, but we’re also students and community members just like you.