Journalist gears up for watchdog role
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 10:36AM By Jonathan McFadden
Jonathan McFadden - News EditorWinthrop, I’m watching.
Three and half years of sweat, tears, biting nails and gradually subjecting my eyes to various computer screens are all culminating into these last two semesters.
And guess what WU...I’m excited.
I’m thrilled.
Not just because in May, God willing, I’ll walk across that stage, shake hands with our university president and receive a piece of paper that’ll I mount on my mantle.
But, because for another year, I get to perform what I--and most journalists--consider one of the most important functions a human being could perform.
I’m a watchdog.
Winthrop’s entered into unprecedented territory recently.
We’re celebrating the one-year birthday of the DiGiorgio Campus Center and, most notably, Markley’s Food Court.
We have our first democratic student-body president in a decade, and students actually voted.
We have a purple worm in the Hardin Garden and even a quintet of musical frogs playing instruments on our campus green.
My how we’ve grown.
More than that, we have a new staff of journalists, webmasters, photographers, videographers, graphic designers and even ad people ready to bring you the best publication we can, as ethically and responsibly as we can.
Three and a half years ago, I was a freshman.
In August 2008, I walked into a moldy smelling, bleak looking, pizza-encrusted basement with a stained carpet and puke-colored walls.
And you know what, it was in this ugly hole in the ground that it all began.
When I received my first assginment for The Johnsonian, I was nervous.
Ok, nervous is an understatement--I was terrified.
My mind spiel went something like this: My peers, aspiring academics from all walks of life, would read this.
My professors, with their doctorates, would examine and point out every grammatical error or slip in syntax.
On top of it, I was working alongside contemporaries, many of them older, more knowledgeable and more capable than me.
Nevertheless, as a columnist, I had a job to do and a desire to get paid; so I did what I had to do, no matter how bad it was.
Time passed and I kept doing it. I kept writing and kept fielding my opinions across campus, no matter how many people disagreed with or applauded me.
Then came my sophomore year, where I began to write for both the news and opinion sections simultaneously.
Lo and behold, I was hooked. I found my true niche. I fell in love with the news.
Junior year, I became the assistant news editor for the paper.
This past summer, I worked alongside--not under--veteran journalists at a professional newspaper. During this time, I covered the city--attending council meetings, budget workshops and calling the mayor nearly every single day.
Now, I’m back at Winthrop. Three and a half years older and wiser.
No longer do I fear professors’ criticism. Instead, I look forward to it.
I report and write better.
Also, I don’t take for granted the work I’ve been commissioned to do.
Last year, in a similar column, I declared that we at The Johnsonian would be dedicated in bringing students, faculty and staff the news the best way we can as servants of the people.
I come to you for another year declaring the same thing, this time with renewed fervor.
So I tell you again, Winthrop, I’m watching.
Following money trails, staying in-the-know with tuition forecasts and informing students about what the ‘powers-that-be’ really do in their executive meetings.
We at The Johnsonian will watch egos, not stroke them.
We’ll ask questions, not turn a blind eye.
We’ll examine the details, not cover them up.
We’ll tell the truth as we get it, not sensationalize.
More than that, we’ll tell students about students.
We’ll focus on the negative and the positive.
We’ll be fair and balanced.
We’ll bring you interesting and thought-provoking features, giving you scintillating material to read and enjoy.
We’ll listen and be a voice for the student body.
Winthrop prides itself on growing and cultivating its students to be leaders, critical thinkers and contributing members of society.
Well, WU, you’ve crafted a leader, a critical thinker and a contributor to this wonderful campus community.
You’ve created a better journalist and a better investigator.
Congratulations. Now, get ready.
