Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

90 Years Young: New Decade, Same Mission

With 90 candles on its birthday cake, The Hoya is coming into its own as a multilayered publication. It enters its centennial decade as an expanding newspaper approaching independence.

In light of the death sentence dealt to print journalism and the challenges posed by a changing media industry, The Hoya is meeting head-on the challenge to retain its purpose.

The Hoya – like most newspapers – is an imperfect institution. It has occasionally underrepresented certain groups, neglected certain stories and erred in its mission to serve its readers. Independence from the university – a goal sought out by The Hoya since the early 1990s – will make The Hoya more accountable to its readers, and hopefully serve as a stopgap against potential faltering. Being thrown outside the protective shield of the university will force The Hoya to weigh each word as if it were the last.

Independence, however, is only part of the equation. Along with newspapers around the globe – both student-run and professional – The Hoya must tackle the question of relevance. Specifically, it must ask: In this age of instantaneous information, what is the raison d’être of print media? How can a publication of paper and ink remain viable?

For The Hoya, the answer lies in what has been its purpose for almost a century: to deliver pertinent news to the Georgetown community. The revival of the Collegiate Readership Program is evidence that the university community still values the printed press. The Hoya, specifically, will remain relevant by covering the Georgetown stories that are important and unique to you, its readers.

The Hoya may have taken some missteps, but these do not define 90 years of hard work and successful printing. For the past nine decades, The Hoya has been on the front lines of campus news. Since Jan. 14, 1920, it has covered every athletic triumph, presidential visit, freshman floor fire, dining hall inspection and campus controversy in between. (It has prompted a few, too.) It has also served as the training base and launching pad of dozens of successful journalists. The alumni viewpoints in this anniversary issue are a testament to the success that some former Hoya staff members have achieved in the field.

Opposite this laudable past is an even brighter future. With a print circulation of 6,500 and increasing Web and multimedia coverage, The Hoya is constantly evolving. Video clips pepper the online edition, increasing the depth of online articles. Sports coverage is now supplemented by blogs and real-time basketball updates. The inauguration of the Saxaspeak blog today means you can easily stay on top of up-to-the-minute news. The Hoya is and always has been Georgetown’s newspaper of record; its expanded online coverage makes it the Hilltop’s news source of record, too.

No doubt, the news industry is faster, more streamlined – but The Hoya is keeping pace. It has poised itself to thrive in an ever-transforming industry and community. The editorial board congratulates The Hoya on its 90th anniversary and looks forward to another 90 years of news articles, features and, of course, editorials.”

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