by Megan Cole
Since I joined the New University as a staff writer three years ago, the field of journalism — and alongside it, the state of the world — has transformed into something that my freshman self would hardly recognize. Social media has sped the American news cycle to a breakneck pace, Tweets are the new press releases, and most journalists are valued more for the frequency of their articles than their time spent reporting. In 2018, it’s easier than ever for the public to access news — but it’s also easier than ever for publications to sacrifice their quality of writing for quantity, speed and pageviews. It’s almost impossible to avoid in a hyper-competitive media landscape, but mass-producing news content to be consumed quickly and superficially has consequences. Reporting errors are made, complex stories are oversimplified and misrepresented and readers and writers alike lose patience for a world that cannot be boiled down to 280 characters or a minute-long video clip.
That’s why this year, the New U’s New Year’s resolution is to produce more in-depth, meticulously researched narratives about our community, even though those stories may not be so quick and easy to write. As our newspaper transitions further into the age of digital media, we will strive to maintain nuance and high quality in the stories we publish. While printing news fast is an undeniable priority, getting it right and telling the full story is even more important to us.
The New U’s resolution may be a challenging one, but good journalism is never easy. Investigating the complicated stories, taking the time to fact-check, and presenting our readers with thought-provoking and informative reporting is worth any sacrifice. In 2018, we hope to be the change we wish to see in media, even if it’s on a small scale.
by Elyse Joseph
The year of our Lord 2017 was fairly kind to me. I honestly think I did pretty well over the course of the last twelve months. I met new people; I tried new things; I studied abroad, all while keeping my grades up and maintaining a blood pressure within the normal range for someone of my age. My big critique is that I never really realized that. I thought that since 2016 was rough, 2017 must be pretty rocky, too. As it turns out, that was not the case.
I’ve learned that it makes all the difference to take a moment and say,
“Hey, I’m doing okay today.” I didn’t do that enough last year, so that’s what I’m going to do this year. I’m going to need it.
My life is going to change very soon. I’m going to graduate in 2018. It has been a long time, and I’m sad to see the end of my time at UCI, but it is definitely time to move on. I have no idea what’s coming, or what I’m going to do, or how high my blood pressure will get come late June. Whatever happens, I think I will need to remind myself pretty often that I’m okay. I think it will stay true.
by Crystal Wong
2018. This year has been engraved in my brain for the past four years because it signifies the year of my graduation and the year I am thrown into the world of adulthood.
To be completely honest, I often find myself asking, “Am I ready for this? Am I really ready to leave the safe haven that is school life and tackle responsibilities and the work life?”
I’ll admit: 2018 is going to be the most stressful year that I will face. My days will be spent with being a full-time student while applying for jobs, attending dance auditions (because I still can’t let my dream of being a professional dancer go) and finding time for self-care.
So this year, I’m dedicating 2018 to ta8king deep breaths and making daily goals instead of having an overall yearly goal. Every day is different, and I believe that if I tackle each day with a different set of goals, I will be able to accomplish more than I normally would be able to.
I’m going to take things slow, one thing at a time so I won’t stress myself out. I need to take responsibility and put myself out there if I’m trying to become successful. But honestly, whatever happens, I just need to tell myself one thing: everything will work out in the end.