Dear Reader,
Last May, we at the Daily Bruin had the fight of our lives passing a referendum to keep Student Media alive and running. Our staff spent countless – literally, it’s impossible to count – hours campaigning, flyering and stressing the value our paper presents to this campus.
A big part of that was cementing our role as a “community paper.” We’re a paper written by UCLA students, for the UCLA community. There’s no other daily paper out there that focuses its coverage on student government, administration, campus events and the issues that directly affect Bruins.
During the campaign, I found out that I would helm the paper’s Opinion section this year. I was very surprised, and to be quite honest a little intimidated by the responsibility. The Opinion page’s duty is to provide fresh perspectives, analysis and interpretation of the events and issues affecting Bruins, and thus holds an integral role in our vision of a community paper. We strive to present the full range of opinions held by Bruins, and it works best when the whole community is engaged in the conversation.
But this is my fourth year working for the Bruin, and my third as an editor. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all that time spent in a windowless office in Kerckhoff 118, it’s that one of the hardest parts of journalism is being able to discern what actually matters to your readers. We’re going to miss some things, and we’re not always going to get everything right.
That’s where you come in. If you have thoughts about something happening at UCLA, if you have comments about the Bruin’s coverage, if you feel we’ve missed something important or even if you just want to say what’s on your mind, please – speak up.
We accept submissions and letters to the editor from any UCLA community member. You can find our newly revised and updated submission guidelines at dailybruin.com/submit, and our community guide at dailybruin.com/contact. You can email us at opinion@dailybruin.com. You can even stop by our office in Kerckhoff 118.
Our referendum ultimately passed by a wide margin, which means that we’ll be able to keep telling the UCLA story five days a week, just as we have for almost 100 years. Thank you for that.
Now it’s time for us to hold up our end of the bargain.
Warm regards,
Chris Campbell, Opinion editor