Marquette Student Media made the goal a little while ago to maintain a stronger web presence. The College of Communication created Student Media Interactive, which is no longer a thing, and pushed student media outlets to all work in the same location in Johnston Hall, which we rarely ever did.
A little while ago was 2003. Current student journalists and I were 11 years old or younger when that happened.
But the push for a more multimedia focused, web-based student media continued for years and was still imperfect by the time this current crop of student journalists came to Marquette. It was imperfect when the Marquette Wire, our still-new website housing content from all student-media platforms, launched in the winter. It is imperfect now, but the pace of news is forcing us to do more about it.
It goes back to one week in September. A student athlete was arrested for assaulting a Department of Public Safety officer. Another student was hit by a car a couple days later. The polarizing FemSex workshop returned and disappeared in an instant. And then the week ended with former university president the Rev. Scott Pilarz announcing his departure from Marquette at 6:20 p.m. on a Friday and popular former professor the Rev. John Naus passing away Sunday night.
Student journalists were left with a surplus of stories and needed to deliver them as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was overwhelming, but, looking back at it, inadvertently pushed forward what professors and advisers wanted a decade prior. With the news happening hourly, we had to think of how best to deliver it rapidly. Delivering news to the Marquette community in addition to being full-time students is already a challenge, and working at a professional pace and producing content daily takes it to another level. But there is opportunity in every difficulty.
Readers should expect student media to be the leading source for Marquette news in a variety of forms – online, in print or on TV – because we are adapting to and overcoming the challenges that come with the development of digital news. When it all hits the fan, we’re going to need to figure out how to bring it to you. With the web, our resources and our outreach, the possibilities are endless and we’re excited for the potential.
It did not occur 11 years ago, but Marquette student media is better-equipped now to provide more content, more efficiently. The news pushed us there, and we are ready to meet its demands.
