The Panther has seen quite a few changes over the last couple of semesters. Leave it to the pandemic — but we’re not complaining. Like many enterprises, we’ve adapted and evolved.

In light of Chapman President Daniele Struppa’s recent State of the University 2022 address, we thought it would be helpful to outline for our readership some of our own changes, challenges, successes and strategic goals for our future.

Though you may have not seen the scarlet lettering of our print newspaper across campus in almost two years, don’t be alarmed. We are alive and well in the digital sphere. The augmentation of our video and podcast sections has broadened our coverage, solidifying The Panther as a formidable news publication in the ever-changing world of digital media and journalism.

This year’s emphasis on multimedia expansion has led to some aesthetic changes, specifically in the way we publicize our content on social media. While we don’t advocate for students solely relying on these entertainment platforms for their daily dose of breaking news, we recognize that — a lot of the time — they do. 

We’ve embraced this by investing increased time and effort into revitalizing our social media presence. Without even reading the article, viewers can get a sample size serving of the latest news through an Instagram post.

Nevertheless, we still aim for our visual elements to be as sharp and detailed as our words, not sacrificing integrity for appearance. Through each medium — whether it print, podcast or video — we remain as committed as ever to our community. That’s something that will never change.

Our newspaper exists to serve the student body, and therefore its audience is primarily composed of such. With the utmost journalistic integrity, we seek to deliver timely stories to our readership, whether we’re covering hot-button topics on campus or exploring issues in the surrounding Southern California communities.

With our campus situated in the heart of Orange, The Panther is dedicated to covering local city news with the same ferocity and dedication that we cover campus issues. Sometimes our curiosity and commitment to the pursuit of truth extends even further to international communities, because we see the value of bringing global conversation to our campus.

Forty-nine states, two territories and 82 countries are represented in the Chapman student population. The Panther aims to depict a holistic portrait of our student body by highlighting diverse voices in our reporting, using our digital space as a platform to uplift others and identify necessary change.

Additionally, we value publishing content specifically curated for minority communities in order to further an inclusive on-campus environment. While this type of coverage is no doubt most appreciated by the communities they were intended for, we believe all students should be able to visit our website and find content that directly applies to them.

The commonality in all of our coverage is the underlying goal of breaking down the boundaries between our readers and the unknown. 

Whether it’s a breaking news story that requires our attention — what we think you need to know — or a feature that dives into the latest contemporary trend — what we think you want to read — our paper exists for you. 

Sometimes this isn’t the news you’d like to hear. Sometimes it’s news which pains us to publish. But sometimes, they’re the words we need to write.

Words are powerful. We respect that power.

Though we strive for objectivity, as all ethical journalists do, we are committed to proper reporting. Every 100 words in an article contains hours of research and evidence-gathering behind the scenes. Each piece is looked over by at least five pairs of eyes to ensure every story is error-free and as accurate as possible. When tasked with reporting on controversial topics, we hold ourselves accountable in representing all ideological beliefs evenly as our research presents.

We take pride in reaching out to various stakeholder groups to cover every side of the story. However, it’s easier said than done.

For each story our writers draft, we aim to include a minimum of three different voices. However, it requires reaching out to many more people — oftentimes in the double digits — just to get those three sources.

Our writers hear “no” more often than not. Days are spent drafting emails to potential interviewees, all with the lingering hope that, eventually, someone has to say “yes.” That challenge is compounded by a fixed perception from some of our readership that our coverage is expressive of a distinct political agenda.

But we pride ourselves in our objectivity when it comes to general reporting. Our opinions section, and specifically our weekly editorial, is not representative of The Panther’s beliefs as a whole. Pieces like these are an outlet for our editorial board to convey their own thoughts for once, rather than reporting on everyone else’s.  

The role of a university newspaper is inherently complex and sometimes feels as crazy as the world we report on. The Panther is an independent paper, meaning the content we publish is not influenced by administration. But that also means our staff is usually on our own.

We’re all students, just like you.

Our job as students is to learn, and our job as journalists is to inform. Where these identities intersect is in our inherent need to explore the community around us.

The state of the publication is strong — partly because you, our readers, made it that way.

So talk to us. We want to hear from you.

Our goal is to perpetuate a culture of compassion and integrity while celebrating diversity. Whether it’s reaching out to us with an issue you think we should cover, coming to us to share your thoughts on a story we’re reporting or submitting your own opinion piece — we welcome it all.