Dear readers,
The start of the academic year is seldom a time free of stress: the move-ins, the orientations, the catching up, the winding down. Whether you are a new or returning student, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed in what is, after all, one of the most well-resourced and far-reaching higher education institutions out there. However, as is the case in any large community, there’s nothing more important than having a source of reliable, accurate and ethically-driven information with which students, faculty, staff and alumni can stay up to date on the latest news and developments around NYU. That’s where the Washington Square News comes in.
For over 50 years, WSN has stood by its principled journalistic endeavor as the university’s independent student publication to serve and inform the NYU and Greenwich Village communities — from our hard-hitting news and investigative coverage which hold our administration accountable, to our opinion, culture and arts desks which give students the opportunity to express themselves. But what does that mean?
WSN is entirely student-run, allowing our multifaceted and dedicated staff to work persistently and collectively in the special interest of the NYU community at large. Student journalism has the potential to be the purest form of journalistic inquiry, and nothing has demonstrated this better than the rigorous work of student-run newspapers in the United States these last few months.
Between the wave of protests over the war in Gaza and rising political tensions on campus, it’s no secret that this past academic year has been quite challenging — not just for the NYU community, but for most, if not all, university communities across the country. Journalists at WSN, alongside those of other student publications, have stood at the forefront of on-campus developments, working diligently to inform and serve our community in ways the mainstream media cannot.
WSN’s editorial independence sets itself apart from major publications in the digital age, where sometimes it’s easy to conflate journalism with how it’s portrayed by mainstream media. We hope that at the start of your college career, you trust us to serve and provide you with a platform to express your own voice in creative and nuanced ways. Whether you want to stay informed or are interested in joining our journalistic venture, we hope that WSN can accompany you on what is sure to be an exciting and eventful first year at NYU.
Welcome and best of luck,
Yezen Saadah
During the academic year, WSN publishes content online Monday through Friday. Follow our Instagram and other social media accounts @nyunews to stay up to date with the latest news developments on and off campus. To learn more about us and how to get involved at WSN, join us at our Open House on Aug. 25 at Level C3 in the Third Avenue North residence hall. WSN seeks students interested in reporting, editing, feature-length writing, web design, video, photography and more.
Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected].
