Dear PLNU students, faculty and staff,
I began this semester with a letter, so I thought it would be fitting to end with one. In my letter from September, my goal was to plant the flag of my intentions with The Point and ensure you knew a bit of the behind-the-scenes of what we do as journalists. My staff and I have been busy the past few months, to say the least.
Following the murder of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, controversy and misinformation spread across the campus and nation quickly. As someone who has the platform to hear all sides of the story, it was difficult to navigate the circulating rumors while trying to get the truth to you. It’s disheartening to say that oftentimes the public doesn’t take time to find the truth, and instead believes the first thing they see. I encourage you to do research for yourself before repeating something.
My team and I did our best to be tenacious and diligent in seeking information to get you the news as fast as possible. Within 10 minutes of receiving word that the Turning Point USA chapter had been denied at PLNU, my team jumped on it to have the story to you the same day. We’ve begun weekly “The Breakdown” reels on Instagram as another way to get you the news.
We’ve attended events and talked to people who didn’t necessarily want to answer questions.
Our dedication has led to some awkward situations, like being asked to leave an event, being declined for a comment and people not being happy with us for telling the truth, which goes against what’s spreading on social media. On a small campus, this gets tricky. But we do this so you stay informed.
One of our top priorities is to remain ethical while making on-the-spot decisions, and it’s in my character to do my absolute best in being a fair, humble, objective and kind journalist. A large part of our job is disarming those who have had bad experiences with journalists in the past. I’m grateful for the space The Point has to talk with PLNU faculty and staff in a kind, gracious and understanding way. In almost all of my interviews, the first thing I make clear is that it’s not my goal to make someone or something look bad intentionally, but simply to tell the story the way it happened.
Our job as journalists is to understand how you receive the news and curate our content and process to fit that. If something isn’t working, let us know. We want our platform to be a space for conversation, answers and accountability.
During our weekly editorial meetings, my staff comes together to pitch ideas of what you, the campus community, should be aware of, what you would care about and how what is happening nationally is affecting us here on campus. It’s challenging, but rewarding.
We’ve had quite a few top headlines that have reached a larger audience. As you’re holding our final edition of the fall semester, and as I’m writing this, I have a sense of pride in my team and the work we’ve done. Thank you for reading and watching. We’ll be back next month.
Best,
Sydney Brammer
Emily Navarro