As a freshman, I never fathomed the idea of being the editor in chief of The Famuan. To be honest, I hated newspapers and was very determined to pursue a career in magazine journalism. But here I am, as a result of God’s divine plan for my life, as the EIC of the paper at the University I have come to love and defend. I also now realize that things rarely happened as planned.
For example, The Famuan is currently the most frequently published newspaper at a Historically Black College or University and has been inching its way to becoming the first daily newspaper at an HBCU. But sources tell me that Howard University wants to claim that title. For a while, The Famuan has been the pacemaker in many ways for HBCU papers. Currently, Howard’s Hilltop only publishes two times per week, something we left behind a few years ago.
Clearly, going daily has always been in back of every adviser’s and editor’s mind who has worked in The Famuan, but this semester’s staff has to take a serious look at it. Becoming daily is a very BIG step for any student newspaper staff, and it must be done with a well thought out plan and solid budget.
Presently, when it comes to HBCU papers, The Famuan is in a league of its own with no competitors to the frequency throne. So I welcome this challenge and am glad that Howard is the first to not only try to get on our level, but try to surpass it as well.
While The Hilltop moves on up, The Famuan will focus on other goals. We will be drastically improving the way we report and present news. We will do more campus-friendly activities, such as volunteering in Relay For Life and hosting a Black History Brain Bowl. We will be more receptive to your needs as readers by doing weekly readership surveys. The Famuan staff is also more focused on being the best newspaper across the board.
While I want The Famuan to be the first daily paper at an HBCU, it is far more satisfying to be the best newspaper at any university.
Alexia R. Robinson is a senior magazine journalism student from Jacksonville. She is the Editor in Chief of The Famuan. Contact her at TheFamuanEditor@hotmail.com