Written by Rachel McDaniel, Morgan Marsh, and Kevin Bell. Web/Copy Edit by Tao Ventre

Some students and community members believe there is disconnect between the campus and the community coverage in local media outlets. Some faculty members agree. A professor who recently attended a George-Anne Daily’s weekly budget meeting, the coverage of local media gives readers an ‘us’ against ‘them’ perspective between the campus and the community.

The professor’s comments sparked a hot debate over local stories in Georgia Southern University campus newspaper. She said that the student media did not cover what’s important. She said we were catering to the students, and giving them what they want to read with fluffy, insignificant stories instead of stories they needed to read about like local and global events including the war in Iraq. She said that for us to be taken seriously as a newspaper, we have to start covering ‘real news.’

But perceptions are not always accurate. We believe that the reality is different. Despite such complaints and the perception of some readers, the campus newspaper covers important local stories. The newspaper have covered city council meetings, including parking ordinances, alcohol regulations, local elections, community events like Keep Bulloch Beautiful, Relay for Life and countless other community events. The George-Anne Daily covered the Statesboro polls during the mid-term elections on November 8, 2006, the Cypress Lake marsh fire, proposed parking ordinance, MLK events in Statesboro, the sentencing of the couple who held Statesboro hostage, and city council efforts to cap involuntary towing services.

Georgia Southern University’s student media publications provides coverage and information about community activities as well as stories on local non-profit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, Statesboro animal shelter and humane society, and places to make donations or recycle materials. Some such stories include the recent feature on animal shelter adoption, coverage for the Great American Cleanup taking place in the community, and information about the Statesboro Special Olympics. These events are important for students to know about because it encourages them to get involved in their community and make a difference.

There are plenty of examples of the campus newspaper covering community events, and there are also tons of examples of local media covering GSU events and stories.

For example, the Statesboro Herald, Connect Statesboro and 11th Hour all cover events and occurrences on campus like sports coaches, championships and players, art exhibits from faculty and students, plays, concerts, comedy shows, and much more. The Statesboro Herald has covered plays and peas performed by GSU’s students so that the public can be a part of watching the students’ hard work and efforts in actual performance. This article covers an opera that was written by Dr. Michael Braz and deals with a power struggle between GSU president Marvin Pittman and Georgia Gov. Eugene Talmadge over academic freedom in the early 1940s.

Articles from local media encourage readers to visit campus events like the GSU. Botanical Garden during the annual spring festival and plant sale, the Raptor Center’s Spring Egg-Stravaganza and campout. Big events on campus are also big events for the community, such as the recent comedian show of Wanda Sykes and the upcoming Brad Paisley concert.

Covering GSU’s sports, the Statesboro Herald carries news of the college’s sports and teams to the local residents of Statesboro. This article discusses the back-to-back wins by the baseball team, but also discusses the team’s lack of momentum and how the coach hopes to get his team to have more confidence. This article discusses the position of starting quarterback at GSU and talks about Billy Lowe transferring from Northern Illinois to come play at GSU.

The perception that the campus and community are entirely two separate entities is false. More often than some realize, the campus sponsors events for the community, and most local media give them coverage, with photo spreads, stories and advertisements. Take, for example, the most recent events, ArtsFest 07, and the Centennial Celebration, in which the Statesboro Herald writes about the GSU Centennial Celebration. It talks about the various activities and events that occurred, as well as talking to people who attended the campus back in 1931, then compares their outlook with students who are attending it currently. The article talks about the importance of GSU over the last century and the hope of it bringing the college campus closer to the community.

The Statesboro Herald writes about the ArtsFest07 that took place on Sweetheart Circle. There was music and instruments, finger painting, and puppet shows for the kids. This event shows that GSUfaculty and students connect with the local residents by putting on these types of events for all members of the family to enjoy. Also, the Humane Society showed up with several cats and dogs to be adopted.

While a disconnect of coverage between local media outlets might be better than some think, there are ways for local media to work together to help encourage coverage while training students.

Above all, there is a need for a dialogue between the local media. A collaborative effort would help identify the gaps in coverage and bridge those gaps. Visits to campus publications by local editors and reporters would be a good star. Local publications, such as the Statesboro Herald could also offer more programs for GSU’s journalists, by offering internships and freelance positions. In that way, both sides can work to build a more holistic news agenda for the community.