November 7, 2024
Street on Washington DC

Sunset in the nation's capitol at the National College Media Convention. (Anna Nelson/The VanCougar)

The VanCougar takes D.C.

From Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, five employees from The VanCougar traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the National College Media Convention.

The VanCougar aims to attend the National Media Convention every year because it provides employees with a wealth of knowledge in journalism and media. 

Important takeaways from this conference can be summed up in a quote given by the Washington Post’s managing editor, Tracy Grant: “The career you have chosen is the only one the founding fathers chose to protect in the Constitution … journalists don’t need to change history, but reveal the truth.

The VanCougar poses on the ACP/CMA red carpet at the National College Media Convention in Washington D.C. (from left to right: Henry Sissac, Sarah Kaufman, Anna Nelson, Emily Baumann, Raul Monero)

Among other advice, including how to increase student’s involvement with The VanCougar, how to improve the reporting process and how to deliver the campus with timely news, The VanCougar wants to bring students the truth. 

Whether that truth is about holding the campus administration accountable or about a marginalized group whose story needs to be heard, the organization promises to work tirelessly to bring the campus truth. 

After the team’s annual attendance, the organization strives to apply our new knowledge to bring the campus community a better publication.  

The VanCougar was able to listen to prominent keynote speakers, including Marty Baron, editor of the Washington Post and Nina Totenberg, the legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio. 

While The Vancougar is funded through Services and Activities fees, like many organizations on campus, the newsmagazine also has the ability to generate revenue through advertising. This revenue grants the organization the ability to travel and grow as a team, to create a better publication and continue to bring the campus the truth.  

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