Stony Brook’s student-run news organization, The Statesman, is competing in College Media Madness, an annual fundraising competition for student newsrooms. This year, 40 journalism outlets from across the country are vying to see who can raise the most money from March 13 through April 6. The Statesman is the only SUNY school participating in the competition.
The Statesman has been serving the campus community since 1958 — before the university had its current campus. Help The Statesman tell important stories for decades to come by making a donation to help keep the university’s independent press alive and well.
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With the funds raised, The Statesman hopes to invest in resources to help expand digital platforms, social media networks, newsletter and websites; create a solid digital media revenue plan and invest in the correct spaces; help cover day-to-day operating expenses since revenue was severely cut after the pandemic; and increase The Statesman’s presence on campus, throughout the Stony Brook community and Long Island as a whole.
“The Statesman has always been my favorite organization to be a part of and has become much more than a hobby or commitment, but a passion,” said Maya Brown, managing editor of The Statesman. “This paper has made me into the journalist that I am today, and I am sure that without the work that I have done and lessons I have learned at the paper, I wouldn’t be where I am today professionally. With this initiative, we are striving to make sure other students have that same opportunity.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Statesman’s role on campus became increasingly important, with staff stepping up to inform the campus community even while facing their own challenges as students. But the pandemic hit hard, forcing The Statesman to discontinue printing and focus solely on digital material.
Despite these setbacks, two staff members placed in the Top 20 for two different Hearst Awards, one for sports reporting and the other for video production. The Statesman and its editors have been recognized for their work by the Society for Professional Journalists, Newsday, the Martin Buskin Committee for Campus Journalism and the Society for News Design, among other organizations. Many of its editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in journalism at prominent places such as NBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other national organizations.
For more, check out this video created by staff members, and help support The Statesman.
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