Newspapers are an endangered species. The act of obtaining our news has evolutionized with each consecutive year as social media platforms, websites, and television provide stiff competition for newspapers in the business of providing information. My generation has fallen subject to this due in large to the convenience of our cell phones which provide instant, local, national, and global news. However, journalism and newspaper writing, as an artform for gathering accurate news is something our society must preserve. 

 On a small scale, I witness the decreasing impact of newspapers through my work as Editor in Chief of San Clemente High School’s publication, Triton Times. Although students are interested in current and school events, the newspaper isn’t their primary, or even secondary, source of information. I originally joined Newspaper to change this, as I believe that print news serves multiple purposes. Print news provides a break from the electronic screens we stare at every day. 

A tangible newspaper allows people to take a break from notifications and screen time to thoroughly learn about what is going on within their community and around the world. It is important to stay educated in a constantly moving society, and a printed news source allows people to sit down and indulge in the world around them. Along with this, a tangible news sources, snapshots of our history, have the ability to reach a wider audience. Not everyone has access to a computer or Smartphone and if news becomes entirely electronic, a faction of our society will lack the means of obtaining information. Finally, newspapers are the final frontier of verified, sourced information, as a print team’s job is to provide a final review of all articles being published. Journalism’s purpose is to inform the public as accurate as possible, and a newspaper is still the best way to accomplish this. 

On the SCHS campus, Triton Times recognizes the importance of a print newspaper and works to provide our students with an easy way to obtain accurate news. The class provides students outlets, allows them to become more informed on current events, and to express their ideas and opinions. Not only do our writers and editors become more informed, they also help to create a more informed student body. Within our class, students work to inform our campus by writing and editing articles, taking engaging photos, and finding multiple sources to validate our information. Our team consists of students who love to write and care about maintaining a newspaper’s role in society, in spite of the current shift away from it. 

This year, Triton Times recognized that sometimes a newspaper can’t catch the eye of students. As a class, we decided to change the style of our print and develop a news magazine, rather than a traditional newspaper. With the support of our advisor, Mr. Miller, Triton Times has worked to create a new version of print media that will hopefully attract more students from this generation, increase viewership, and provide an important source of information. 

We at Triton Times continue to search for ways to improve our publication, while not forgetting the significance of traditional print media. Due in large part to this class, we have developed the passion for print media and have been taught the importance of keeping newspapers alive.