In the last 10 years or so, the journalism industry has had a 25% decrease in the number of jobs available. In the next 10 years, jobs will likely decrease by another 9%. 

And though online readership has increased, this is still not enough to offset the sharp decline in print readership. Furthermore, younger generations increasingly use social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter in order to get their daily news. 

Some of the difficulties The Hilltop Monitor faces now are reflective of these broader problems in the journalism industry. The past two years have seen a decrease in readership for The Hilltop Monitor and a decrease in the volume of articles published each issue. There is less incentive for students to write involved articles on a weekly basis when information and gossip can be easily shared in a quick YikYak. And reading these posts takes almost no effort at all – all the more convenient for the bogged-down college student trying to make it through undergraduate classes. 

But if this past year as Chief Editor has shown me anything, it’s that local news coverage – and in particular, coverage of campus events – is crucial to the development of a good college community. William Jewell College is undergoing a great deal of change. A sizable chunk of the faculty has retired or will retire soon. New programs and minors such as the Faith and Culture Center and the ancient Mediterranean studies minor respectively are being added next year. The institution is committing itself to values of radical inclusivity, diversity, access, and equity. The administration has ambitious plans for the College moving forward – they are attempting to increase the size of the student body and provide highest quality education and highest access to that education. 

And while social media sites like TikTok and YikYak are useful for getting bite-sized morsels of information, they are by nature inadequate for giving a comprehensive account of the changes at Jewell. Thus, the importance of student journalism cannot be understated. Student journalists are tasked with investigating and reporting on those issues which are most pertinent to the members of the community (and to prospective students who want information on the culture and programs of the College). 

More than keeping the community informed about important changes, student journalism itself keeps the institution accountable throughout its ongoing metamorphosis. For example, this year The Hilltop Monitor has covered an ongoing, institutional conversation concerning the nature and value of student and faculty academic freedom. Where information on this conversation was often difficult to obtain or difficult to wrap one’s head around, The Hilltop Monitor’s staff worked tirelessly to disseminate key points to the community. 

My time as Chief Editor is almost complete. I am grateful to my wonderful staff for writing substantive and well-researched stories on all sorts of subjects. I know that the staff will continue to do excellent work. And you, dear reader, are encouraged to participate in student journalism – whether as a reader or a member of the writing staff. In doing so, you will contribute to the proper development of Jewell as an institution. 

Undeniably the past several weeks have been a trying time for all. The widespread news of dwindling reserves of medical supplies, product shortages and entire nations closing their borders has been jarring. The local news of states of emergency being declared for Kansas City and Clay County, business closures and William Jewell College moving to online classes for the remainder of the semester has been both disorienting and overwhelming. 

The staff of the Hilltop Monitor recognize that documenting the unfolding events is crucial and that our platform serves as a unique medium through which our readers can be kept up-to-date with the events at Jewell, albeit at a distance. 

Hence, a four-part COVID-19 response plan has been developed for this publication that will remain in effect for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. The plan is as follows: 

1. Publication will shift to an every-other-week basis

While we recognize the necessity of continued publication we are empathetic to the individual struggles that each person, including our staff, is facing during this time and seek to offset that as much as is possible. New issues of the Hilltop Monitor can be expected March 27, April 10, April 24 and May 8.

2. Extremely selective coverage on the spread of COVID-19 

Being a student publication, we do not have the resources to serve as a leading information source during this crisis. As we acknowledge both that reality and the danger that misinformation presents, we will not pretend to have more information than we do. Instead, we encourage our readership to stay informed by frequently viewing updates provided by the CDC and the World Health Organization. 

3. Renewed focus on the Jewell community’s experience

Throughout the remainder of this semester we will engage in a conscientious effort to accurately portray the experience of Jewell community members during this pandemic. This includes documenting the college’s response to the situation, the impact of NCAA game cancelations, the consequences of canceled academic conferences and the experience of both students and faculty as classes move online and the campus is vacated. We also intend to pay special attention to Jewell traditions – such as the Honors Convocation and Duke Colloquium Day – in whichever format they occur. In doing this we hope to, in some way, recreate the community experience that an online education lacks. 

4. Feature the stories of non-staff writers

Though this time is difficult for us all, we are each facing unique challenges, and some of us are luckier than others. Throughout the next few weeks we are extending an open invitation to our readership to submit articles about their own experiences in and reactions to this crisis, or to volunteer for an interview with one of our staff writers to have your story told. Submissions and inquiries can be submitted directly to monitor@william.jewell.edu or through our Facebook page. This invitation is extended to current students, faculty and staff as well as parents, alumni and other Jewell community members. We recognize the value of authentic communication and the power of being heard. Throughout this crisis we offer our platform as a means through which our community can tell their stories. 

As challenging as the past few weeks have been, and as daunting as the future seems, we are confident that our efforts to present the raw impacts of this pandemic will strengthen Jewell’s community ties. 

Within our community alone, seniors are faced with uncertainty regarding their graduation and the immense challenge of finding employment in a rapidly declining economy. Student athletes’ seasons have been cut short. Professors are having to spend hours restructuring carefully designed curricula into online experiences – including lab hours and practicums. Staff’s schedules are being increasingly altered as some continue to work on campus and others have been instructed to work remotely. 

The stories of our community deserve to be told, and the Hilltop Monitor volunteers and aspires to be the platform through which this is done.

To meet these obligations, journalists must invest time and energy, as well as exert great discipline in maintaining the highest standards of efficacy and accuracy in news reporting. All the while, publications must adopt policies ensuring that these practices remain current and relevant. This requires constant evolution and the adaptation of publications to reflect social processes.

As such, a new policy will be adopted by the Hilltop Monitor in regards to pronoun use and gendered language within our articles.

The new pronoun policy is as follows: the Monitor’s journalists will now ask all individuals interviewed what pronouns they use; they/them pronouns will be used in all cases in which the actor’s/speaker’s gender is unknown and the Monitor will strive to use non-gendered language in cases in which journalists cannot interview people directly. Additionally in other non-specific cases, gender neutral language will be used whenever possible, for example: “first-years” as opposed to “freshmen.”

Adopting this new policy reflects several changes in the world of news media, such as the inclusion of the singular they/them pronoun in the AP and Chicago style guide books in 2017.

Similar policies have been adopted by several major publications. In 2012, The Baltimore Sun catalyzed the evolution of journalistic language by using the singular gender-neutral pronoun “they” in an article. In 2015, The New York Times followed suit, by using the title “Mx.” in an article. Later that year, The Washington Post announced that singular they/them pronouns had been added to their official stylebook. In 2016, The San Francisco Examiner announced a new policy to use singular they/them pronouns to refer to non-specific individuals and those identifying as gender-neutral. Since that time publications such as The Business Insider have used singular they/them pronouns in articles despite not implementing official policy changes.

Usage of the singular they/them pronoun yields multiple benefits and significantly improves the accuracy of news media.

First, using gender-neutral pronouns reduces incidents of gender bias. The English language traditionally exhibits a bias toward the masculine, as demonstrated through gendered terms such as “mankind,” “firemen” and “man-made.” Research has shown that this language bias has contributed to reproducing asymmetrical power and status structures in favor of men.

These gender biases are reinforced through the propagation of gendered language through several channels of communication, including pop-culture and college textbooks. Language tools such as Google Translate have been proven to demonstrate a gender bias, associating the masculine gender with more dominant—and connotatively positive—qualities and professions.

The Monitor’s new policy aims to combat and reduce the prevalence of such biases.

Second, gender-neutral pronouns are more accurate. Several academic disciplines have traditionally defined gender as a social construct, developed and maintained by society rather than nature, and research articles verifying this have been published. Though this assertion is still a part of public debate, it is unfactual for news media to refuse to acknowledge the presence and relevance of gender-neutral, genderqueer and gender non-binary individuals.

In the same regard, imposing a pronoun or gender onto any individual is not reporting facts; it is reporting opinion. Journalism’s biggest commitments are to the truth and to its readership, and misrepresenting a person’s gender is a violation of both of these responsibilities.

The offense that some might take to change in policy—be it to grammar, tradition or propriety—is secondary to the opportunity we have to present truth and affirm individual identities. It is far more important for us at the Monitor to accurately inform our readership than for us to uphold conventions that no longer bear relevance to who we are, or our shared human experience.