The State of the Newsroom

Hannah Bonanducci, former Editor-in-Chief of Eastern University's The Waltonian, poses with her final printed article of the Spring 2026 semester. Photo by Jason Karch.

I found my way into journalism accidentally; the school newspaper was the only “creative writing class” my high school had to offer, and as an insufferable 14-year-old who thought she was going to be a fiction writer, I took it on with no clue what I was getting myself into. Over time, though, I began to realize that my love of writing, editing, organization and even photography (??!) could be paired well with my inability to verbally shut up. By my senior year, I had pivoted from creative writing to journalism and was serving as the Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper.

Despite being a class, no formal teaching took place. I was taught how to use InDesign by other students who didn’t know how to use InDesign, learned the basics of using a DSLR camera on the job at a local newspaper and figured out that interviews were the main difference between journalistic and academic writing (I did a large amount of mine over email – yikes). My greatest success came from being a big personality in a small community who could keep tabs on what was going on and convince people to pay attention. 

My journalistic career is very easily a tug-at-your-heartstrings underdog story, but that’s not the story I want to tell. Here’s what’s more important: I was really bad at my job. No, seriously. I spent most of my time getting all of our ancient laptops to run the same version of Adobe InDesign. We rarely (if ever?) published local news. I didn’t even know that AP Style existed, and boy, what I would give to go back to the days when I used the Oxford comma without a second thought.

Despite my general lack of training and journalistic ability, my working knowledge of InDesign and minimal interview practice served me well. I was invited to be the Features Editor of The Waltonian during my freshman year at Eastern University, and I learned almost every other position on my journey to becoming Editor-in-Chief my junior year.

I wound up learning far more in college, but in many ways, I had a similar experience of stepping into a space that lacked educational support. It has gotten better during my time on The Waltonian’s staff; however, from what I learned this year with the Philadelphia Student Press Association, The Waltonian may have far more than what my fellow newsrooms have.

It’s no secret that the field of journalism is not particularly thriving right now. One of the biggest threats to the next generation of journalists is the slow death of local journalism. Its impact is twofold: it simultaneously removes traditional career pathways and newsroom opportunities for student journalists while also increasing the stakes for student-produced journalism, as it becomes the last line of defense for local journalism. 

TL;DR: The expected quality of student journalism has increased exponentially at the same time that its resources have decreased exponentially. 

The newsroom experience I had in high school is simply no longer sustainable for the future of journalism, yet many newsrooms still function that way. Students have adapted (quite well, I might say, given that I’m writing this post for a massive student-run journalistic organization). Still, we cannot continue to rest the future of our nation (woah, big words) on young people who aren’t given a fair chance to learn. 

This semester, I visited some of PSPA’s partner newsrooms to assess our organization's needs and strengths. They are all struggling for reasons beyond their control, and I am beyond impressed by how well they are holding up. Students in schools with no programs for Communication Studies or Journalism are running award-winning newspapers, simultaneously improving their communities through their work and teaching themselves the standard set of resume skills for reporting. They find ways to meet their own needs, becoming experts in web management systems, graphic design, social media marketing and even event planning. The cherry on top? They’re usually unpaid.

There are newsrooms publishing print editions every two weeks without a test printer or even a computer lab. Photo editors are working with teams that don’t have cameras. Most of these newsrooms are not allowed to fundraise due to university club rules. Students at many universities can no longer speak to their school's administration because internal PR teams field all media questions. This is the world that student journalists live in, and this is the world fighting to keep journalism alive.

So, why was I talking about my high school newsroom? I’m graduating from Eastern University with an impressive-looking LinkedIn profile, but the reality is that I’m still really bad at my job. My best work has been building the newsroom structure and resources that I needed when I came in. Somewhere in that process, though, I stopped learning how to be a reporter. While I would do it all over again, it’s important to note that it should not be this way. Leadership should augment the student experience, not replace it.

This letter is for everyone, but I have different messages for its readers. It serves as a call to action as much as it does a space for encouragement.

For my fellow student journalists, Do not be afraid to create the opportunities you have not been given, and do not be timid about it. Take up the space you’re paying (at least) a quarter of a million dollars to take up. Be insatiably curious and never give up on being a student. Learn everything you can and then figure out how to share what you’ve learned with whoever needs or wants to hear it. You’ll be far more prepared than most journalists if you pursue these things honestly.

For my fellow newsroom leaders, It’s important that we learn how to do anything that may be vaguely related to our field. We are now educators, information hubs, fundraisers, event planners, digital masters and faithful guardians of the written word. Utilize connections for learning opportunities as much as you do for interviews. Furthermore, remember that we have made it past the awful competitive necessity of high schoolers getting into college; fellow newsrooms are not our enemies. We have to learn how to learn from each other and unite. If you have resources, share them proactively. If you lack them, ask for them. Work collaboratively; we are too deep into a crisis of information and trust to gatekeep the strengths of our newsrooms. 

For university administrators, I would implore you to consider changing the institutional barriers that student newsrooms face regarding funding and university presence. While I understand the need for fairness across student organizations, a student newsroom can't run well under the same structure as a gaming club. Newsrooms need physical space, equipment, educational opportunities, training and simply time that other student groups don’t. They need the ability to pay their staff and buy equipment. Furthermore, for both the health of your own institution and journalism as a whole, your student journalists must have access to administrative members for interviews. PR teams cannot provide the information and conversations that student journalists are seeking, and student journalists need to practice the art of the interview in their own institutions. 

I have plenty more to say and even more to do. I have high hopes for student-led conversational spaces about the direction we will take our newsrooms. I hope that partnerships with high school newsrooms create pathways for student journalists to succeed. I look forward to the revival of the conference and the workshop, the growing sense of partnership with sources and the general reworking of the journalist's role. This singular year with the Philadelphia Student Press Association has given me far more than I ever could have imagined. As I move into a senior advisor role after graduation, I’m excited to see what happens to the journalists who receive this support throughout their student journalism careers.

The game is changing whether we like it or not, and I’m proud to be working with the people who are shaping it for the betterment of all. Power to student journalists!

Written by: Hannah Bonanducci