Today’s issue marks the beginning of the leadership of the 141st Managing Board of the Yale Daily News. As a community, we consider it an honor and a privilege to stand at the helm of the “Oldest College Daily.” Together, we represent more than the various facets of the News. We are a collage of experiences from closely held and far-flung corners of the world — a collection of reporters, columnists, designers and artists who have come together because we believe in the importance of telling stories and speaking truth to power.
Our tenure begins during an era of distrust — distrust between the government and its citizens, left and right, the public and news outlets. Journalists and newspapers around the world have always walked a fine line, reconciling the reality of fact with the reality of people’s stories. But in recent years, this line has become increasingly difficult to walk. We acknowledge now, more than ever, the importance of an honest and accessible Yale Daily News.
Over the past year, we’ve watched national issues ripple through campus, touching the lives of those in our community. We’ve watched sexual assault survivors speak up in the midst of the #MeToo movement, national immigration policies spark the Free Melecio campaign and Lolade Siyonbola’s GRD ’19 harassment spur debates about race and belonging. If these last couple of months have taught us anything, it is that we as a campus and a publication are not separate from the reality of the world. Rather, it is our duty to contribute responsibly to national discussions through authentic and detailed journalism.
As a board, our goal is to pursue the truth and tell the stories of the people around us. We embrace this challenge wholeheartedly and look forward to continuing the honest, fearless work of our predecessors as we discover our own voices and make 202 York our home.
While we are happy to inherit a 140-year-old tradition, we have our own part to play in shaping the future of the News. We are a print publication above all, but we will continue to push the News into the digital age. The News will never cease to be demanding of its staffers, but, in the name of accessibility, we will continue to develop and promote the Yale Daily News Foundation Stipend Program. Though the Yale Daily News has not always been the most inviting place for everyone, we will continue to deepen our commitment to diversity and inclusion through both formal mechanisms and informal attitudes.
Publishing the News on a daily basis is no easy task. But it is a task worth doing for its own sake and worth doing because of the people we are privileged to meet and work with along the way. If you are already a part of the News, we cannot wait for all the moments and memories that lie ahead. To those who are not yet a part of the News, we cannot wait for you to join us.
In this editorial, we are not only speaking to Yale students. We are speaking to members of the New Haven community, too. We believe that these two categories should not be mutually exclusive. As such, we are intent on covering the city we call home in greater detail and on lifting the voices of those who have not always made it onto our pages.
This issue is the first of many. We do not know what the future holds, but we do know that we are ready to cover whatever it might bring. We cannot do this without each other and without you. We look forward to having you join us in our quest to tell stories, but, more importantly, to tell the truth.