VANGUARD EDITORIAL: Vanguard: Reflections on 2010-11

At the end of every spring quarter, the Vanguard goes through a sort of metamorphosis. Students graduate, transfer or simply leave for summer vacation. New editors, writers and designers enter to replace those leaving. It is the end of a year for the Vanguard and the beginning of an exciting new one.

It’s been a significant year for the Vanguard, and before we welcome the new editorial staff we would like to take a moment to reflect on our biggest accomplishments, and challenges, in 2010–11.

Last September, after over 20 years of delivering daily coverage to the Portland State community, the Vanguard shifted to a twice-weekly publication. This change puts more emphasis on its online presence and aligns the paper more closely with the university’s sustainability goals. 

The Vanguard saw a modern re-design, which allowed room for more content on each page. This contributed to the paper’s current urban appeal and minimalist aesthetic that embodies PSU’s unique culture, as well as its motto.”

Despite a new production schedule to accommodate the twice-weekly change, our staff worked countless hours, and many late nights, to deliver fresh news and quality reporting to our campus community. Significant stories include the creation of the formal alliance between PSU and Oregon Health & Science University, the introduction of President Wim Wiewel’s Éxito initiative, and the many accomplishments of our women’s softball, golf and basketball teams this season.

This has also been a noteworthy and controversial year for Oregon’s higher education. With the introduction of the OUS restructuring bill (Senate Bill 242), the suggestion of a 9.2 percent tuition increase, and across-the-board budget cuts, change is undoubtedly on the horizon. These issues have helped develop a dialogue between the PSU student body and the administration. We hope that these conversations continue to gain momentum, spark public discussion and further lubricate the exchange of ideas.

Our staff is proud to say that, throughout the year, the Vanguard has provided PSU with a diverse news section, engaging arts and culture articles, insightful and critical opinion pieces, and timely and in-depth sports stories.

At the annual Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association collegiate awards, the Vanguard beat out both Oregon State University and the University of Oregon for the general excellence awards. It also took home four other first-place awards, seven second-place awards and five honorable mentions.

But this year hasn’t been without its trials. The new publishing schedule has presented challenges for the Vanguard, including the dilemma of ensuring timely coverage through a twice-weekly paper. We will keep this in mind as the Vanguard continues working to improve the newspaper’s efficiency and online presence over the coming year.  To do this, we plan to provide breaking news coverage through the Vanguard’s website, and then following up with greater detail in the print editions.

The Vanguard has also had to adapt to the changing newspaper culture. As the industry evolves, and more media outlets turn to online blogging and video journalism, so too must the Vanguard acclimate if it wishes to flourish. The staff will be trained to accommodate these new trends, which will also prepare them for careers in journalism. The Vanguard is overhauling its website over the summer to better meet the demand for accessible online news.

As with any publication, the relationship the Vanguard has with its readers is vital to the quality of its content. We rely on your feedback, opinions, tips and—most importantly—your engagement. As the paper assesses the manner in which it serves the university, we welcome suggestions to make our job, and ultimately the paper, more useful to you.

Virginia Vickery Editor-in-Chief Corie Charnley News Editor Nicholas Kula Arts & Culture Editor Richard Oxley Opinion Editor Kevin Fong Sports Editor Noah Emmet Chief Copy Editor