When President William Burns Paterson started the Normal Reporter in 1879 (now known as The Hornet Tribune), the purpose was to teach young black students who had been recently freed from slavery the art and science of printing and the printing press.
One hundred and forty four years later, the role of The Hornet Tribune has changed. It is not just a place where training to students is given, but also a place where the latest news, sports, entertainment and human interest stories can be found. The Hornet Tribune is a forum that provides its readership with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies and their governments.
And while many may say that newspapers are a dying industry, due to the steady decline triggered by a loss in readership and ad revenue which have been migrating to other media, most notably digital, basic newswriting, reporting and editing will never die.
Currently, the platform that newspapers are thriving on is the digital and online platforms. Online and digital newspapers are prospering, but fundamental reporting, writing, and editing are still needed and students who are interested in pursuing a career in news must learn these valuable skills.
The Hornet Tribune has multiple platforms: online, digital and print. These platforms allow students who want to enter the industry an opportunity to get hands-on experience in reporting, writing, editing, designing, photography, videography and multimedia. We desperately try to be objective and factual. Despite the fact that we are funded by the university, we try to produce unbiased work. This is what we have tried to do since our founding in 1879 and that is what we continue to do today. We want you to know the truth and we want to present it in a way that is both balanced and fair.
However, we want to be clear, The Hornet Tribune is not, and has never been, a public relations publication. Our job is not to make Alabama State University or any of its entities look good. Our job is to present the facts as they are, and in some cases, peel back the onion, to show you the origin or the news and how we arrived at that state.
In other words, The Hornet Tribune exists to serve as a reliable place for students, faculty, administrators, alumni and any other stakeholders to come and receive, accurate and comprehensive accounts of newsworthy events that affect our stakeholders.
Contrary to belief, The Hornet Tribune also serves as a watchdog that empowers its main target, students, to expand their knowledge on current events and do something with the information they are given. The Hornet Tribune also serves as a forum for debate and healthy discussion between students, faculty and administrators. There will not always be agreement on the facts, but civil discourse should be allowed for diverse perspectives.
Students, faculty, administrators, alumni, friends and fans of the university should support the rights of The Hornet Tribune – free speech, and as everyone continues their fall semester, remember that The Hornet Tribune is there for you. Our doors are always open.
And even if you do not like our reporting or an article that we have written, we still have the right to continue reporting and writing and editing because this is the United States of America – a land of free speech.