With NENPA awards, the Daily Campus perseveres through journalistic challenges 

In an era of misinformation, a growing distrust for the media, new technologies like generative artificial intelligence and pressure from national governments, journalists across the world must adapt to the ever-changing landscape of journalism. As professionals adapt, schools and universities are educating the next generation of journalists who will be thrown into a media world that has never been seen before. Students are getting a first-hand experience of these challenges through their college media organizations, and the Daily Campus is no exception.  

As journalism faces unprecedented challenges, professional and college media outlets including newspapers, television and radio stations and other digital platforms are looking to each other for guidance.  One of the ways many do this is from conventions and conferences, recognizing each other’s accomplishments and creating educational spaces to network, strengthen skills and promote learning. Journalism conferences are hosted each year across the country and world, ranging from small regional participation to a much larger global scale. 

The Daily Campus had the honor of attending a regional convention, the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Better Newspaper Competition on March 30, where we had the honor of receiving two awards and attending educational workshops to strengthen our content.  

At the competition, which recognizes the top professional and collegiate newspapers in New England, the Daily Campus placed third in the college division for sports game story and editorial. Our coverage of last year’s men’s basketball championship, written by Connor Sargeant and the editorial on how Connecticut is failing higher education, written by last year’s Editorial Board, placed third in each respective category. 

While this was a tremendous honor to be recognized and show the impact the Daily Campus is having outside of the university, the convention also provided a space for learning and growth. In addition to the awards, the Daily Campus sat in on many educational workshops and information panels about a plethora of topics ranging from the current First Amendment landscape for journalists to using big data stores in local reporting.  As the Daily Campus faces similar challenges, we learned how to address the growing use of generative artificial intelligence, reporting and producing content to combat the growing age of misinformation and importance of reframing dominant narratives to uplift communities.  

As a student-run newspaper that receives university funding from student fees, we strive to produce “fair, accurate, relevant and editorially independent content, to take on student interests as our own interests, and to provide the best possible environment for students to learn, experience and develop skills related to news media,” according to our mission statement. To accomplish our goal, we look to adapt to growing changes of journalism through education. Attending the NENPA convention, where we could learn from professionals in the field, did just that. 

One of the Daily Campus’ most important goals is holding UConn and other entities to account. In this way, we remain a crucial bastion of the free press on campus that provides a unique perspective on a multitude of issues. As a newspaper that often focuses on UConn and Connecticut, we at the Daily Campus will continue to deliver hard hitting journalism, despite the challenges currently facing the media.