The “State of the Campus Times” is written to report on the progress and challenges of the past semester, in addition to outlining the future goals of the CT. As Publisher, I aimed to build upon the remarkable work of the previous publisher and staff — from increasing print circulation to a greater abundance in advertisement — and we have made significant progress this past year.
We continued to distribute 2,800 copies of our print editions in Spring 2025, with circulation around River Campus, the Medical Center, College Town, Eastman Campus, and various areas in downtown Rochester. Our dedicated staff continues to report key events, including state-wide and national news in relation to our campus, as well as pieces that encapsulate our community’s reactions to them.
Along with the CT staff’s dedication to journalism, we further supported the staff and the UR student population with professional development opportunities. This semester, the CT hosted three journalism workshops, some of which in co-sponsorship with the Medallion Program, spanning from news reporting training to tips on interviewing. We expanded our copy editing team in collaboration with a professor from the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program where students came and learned about copy editing from our Copy Chief, gaining hands-on experience in a student-run newsroom. Some CT staff members received a summer internship through the Rochester Beacon, allowing for more opportunities to hone in on their journalistic and writing skills.
For a large portion of time prior to the start of the semester throughout the first half of the semester, we worked towards sending two of our staff members to NICAR 2025, an annual investigative journalism conference. Through insights from panels and workshops, building connections and networks, and learning more about the ins-and-outs of the journalism industry, NICAR was essential towards these individuals’ development as journalists. This valuable learning experience was made possible with the support and generous donations from our alumni and donors.
Of course, success doesn’t come without obstacles. We navigated structural changes in management midway through the semester. In addition, as something we continued to work through since the Fall 2024, we continued to implement changes to print production schedules in order to maximize efficiency of our workflow.
Despite some hindrances, the CT won three awards from the New York Press Association: Our coverage of the ‘wanted’ posters in November won third place for news story, a profile written by our features editor won second place for feature story, and our election print edition won second place for “Best Overall Newspaper or Online News Platform.”
We continue to strive toward a larger audience, expanding our readership both online and in print. To do so, we aim to recruit more writers in the coming semester, particularly for News and Features. There are many important things to discuss on campus, from the Graduate Student Union protests to the aftereffects of the ‘wanted’ posters — writers and reporters are a crucial aspect of this process. We also want to review our print locations and distributions, putting more emphasis on popular locations and relocating others to increase accessibility.
With that, I want to say a big congratulations to all the hard work the Campus Times staff has put into promoting journalism on campus this semester. Journalism, particularly the physical distribution of newspapers, is a dying field; I am honored to be a part of something that matters to the current climate of the world. With all that we have accomplished this past semester, I am looking forward to all of the things that come with the second half of my tenure as Publisher of the Campus Times this fall.
