Dear Readers,
Redesign.
It’s the current buzzword among those closely watching student media here at Stony Brook University. It’s also something that we at the Stony Brook Independent have been working hard all year to bring to you.
Those of you trying to access our site over the summer break probably had difficulties pulling up content—the switching of a 3,000 article archive will do that.
The migration of our servers was just the beginning of an extensive web overhaul that was five years overdue. Part of the delay was editorial, the other part logistical—my thanks to all those involved who helped make this change possible.
But our format isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Our philosophy and general outlook as a student-run online publication have also undergone a major facelift.
In place now are strict, ethical guidelines. Luckily, we here at the Independent have never had to deal with ethical mishaps, but codifying journalistic morals is essential at a time when public mistrust of media—even student media—runs rampant.
And we’ll still continue to bring you the latest on all things Stony Brook, but hopefully, on a more in-depth, investigative, and multimedia-rich level. As the University’s first and only web-based student publication, we’ll continue to push breaking news, and mobile journalism.
It’s no secret that the Independent has been a dark horse of sorts when it comes to student media outlets. Without a print supplement and without a University-backed budget, we’ve struggled over the years to build a strong web presence.
But we’ll continue to work hard on building a user-friendlier site and conduct investigations powered by readers like yourself.
After all, it’s all about what YOU need and want to know.
-Jie Jenny Zou
Executive Editor 2011
exec@sbinews.org
