Former Northern Star Entertainment Editor Darius Parker (left) returned to the newsroom in August 2022 to give pointers to incoming Lifestyle Editor Daija Hammonds during a week of training sessions for editors. Not everyone who works at the Northern Star will become a journalist. We’re OK with that. What they will become are shrewd news consumers, critical thinkers and participants in civic life.
Nowadays talking about news means talking about the media itself – what separates responsible journalism from disinformation, what business models will support the work of journalists, how to adapt the time-tested practices of storytelling to the habits of news consumers, which are expanding at a dizzying pace.
Those are some things we talk about a lot, along with the media’s role in democracy, diversity in staffing, sourcing and thought, and media ethics and objectivity.
Sam Malone (left), former Northern Star editor in chief, talks about page design with Editor in Chief Madelaine Vikse during “All Star” training day in August 2022, in which Star alumni return to help train new editors in the jobs they used to hold.Most aspiring journalists find us to become better writers, interviewers, photographers and videographers, but discover they get experience in management, public relations, professionalism, First Amendment freedoms, state/local politics, problem-solving, reasoning, time management and the accountability of public scrutiny.
Of course, some things haven’t changed at all. The Northern Star continues to report on NIU issues and events as it has since its founding in 1899. It provides a historical record, a training ground for the next generation of journalists and business people, and is a watchdog on behalf of the public.
Former Northern Star News Editor Lindsey Salvatelli (left) reviews a lineup of stories set to be published during the first two weeks of school with Managing Editor Abby Lamoreaux in August 2022.How Your Gift Makes an Impact
There are two ways alumni can help financially. Donations to the general Northern Star fund with the Foundation will help with training and daily operations. However, donations to the Northern Star/Phil Kadner Fund For Student Journalists is an endowed fund to help defray the cost of student payroll.
