EDITORIAL: Celebrating 35 Years

The Devil’s Advocate has served Stanton College Preparatory School since October 1983 when a staff of ten students, assisted by adviser Ingrid Sloth, came together to create a scholastic newspaper. The main headline on that first issue, “Robin Cox Wins Big at Miss Senior High Pageant,” ran proudly across the front page, accompanied by a photograph of a beaming Ms. Cox and a story that captured the jubilance and camaraderie of Stanton students. These qualities remain the focus of our work to this day—they create a certain constancy in our coverage, regardless of the passing of time. Still, the past three decades have been punctuated by shifting cultural trends and consequential sociopolitical changes that required the Devil’s Advocate—like all other news organizations—to participate in collective acclimation to an evolving readership. This process has been nothing short of an honor, and in light of our 35th anniversary, retrospective reflection may provide insight as to how we should best continue into the future.

Perhaps one of the most prominent societal changes that has occurred in recent years is the inception of the Information Age. The internet provides instantaneous access to information via computers, tablets and phones—a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2017 found 58 percent of U.S. adults often get news on a mobile device. This has encouraged a decrease in the demand for professional print journalism, as data can be collected and disseminated in a matter of seconds via thousands of informal outlets. Many publications, the Devil’s Advocate included, have adapted by carving out their own space in the digital mediascape. Social media profiles have played a vital role in allowing us to stay connected to our audience outside of school walls and break news in real time. Advances in audio and video technology have given journalists everywhere new mediums to explore. It’s all too easy to think digital media killed print journalism—a more positive perspective celebrates the many ways in which digital media has pushed journalists to change for the better.

In recent months, forces other than technological revolution have played a heavy hand in changing the future of journalism. Some of the individuals who have come to the forefront of recent American politics consistently exhibit a distrust in the media via sweeping skeptical criticism. This has resulted in a steadily dropping confidence in news organizations amongst the public, and has weakened the media’s ability to vet authority figures. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2017 revealed that though 89 percent of Democrats believed criticism from news organizations kept political leaders in check, only 42 percent of Republicans shared the same view. Changing perceptions of the media carry important implications for us despite our status as a scholastic newspaper— In light of the tumultuous relationship between politicians and journalists, we have only strengthened our commitment to accurate, resourceful reporting. Public polarization has served as a source of motivation rather than discouragement, and our biggest priority remains to report objective information to all members of our readership.

During the past 35 years, we have covered beginnings and endings, conflicts and resolutions and triumphs and defeats, all of which influenced Stanton’s students and faculty. This coverage also coincided with many internal changes which have made us better equipped to handle whatever the future holds. Print journalism has endured many challenges in the past three decades, and obsolescence is an intimidating, plausible prospect considering the volatility of social, political and economic circumstances. Still, we choose to look to the future and embrace a vision of collaboration between a dedicated press, an involved public and a transparent government.