About Us
The Northern Star is the student-produced, independent media at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. The Northern Star covers NIU campus news, DeKalb news, NIU Huskie sports, northern Illinois entertainment and more.
The newspaper has published continuously since 1899. It originally was called the Northern Illinois, until 1954 when it was renamed the Northern Star. The paper became a daily (M-F) in 1965. The Northern Star Online was launched in 1995.
The Northern Star sends out its TLDR newsletter Monday through Friday and prints four special editions a year. The Star voted to stop printing weekly editions beginning Fall 2022. The Northern Star is a member of The Associated Press, Associated Collegiate Press, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers, Illinois College Press Association, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and several other professional journalism organizations.
The Northern Star offices are in the Peters Campus Life Building, Suite 130, DeKalb, IL 60115. Phone 815-753-0101 for news and editorial and 815-753-0107 for business and advertising. Our primary e-mail address is [email protected]
Mission
The Northern Star’s mission is twofold:
To provide the NIU community primarily with coverage of news and events taking place at the university, and secondarily with news pertaining to the city of DeKalb, Illinois and the nation.
To provide a modern, laboratory-like setting, fashioned after commercial media, for all NIU students interested in working in the various aspects of news media for the purpose of gaining experience.
Operation
The Northern Star is a limited public forum whose content is determined exclusively by its student editors at Northern Illinois University. Information presented in its newspaper and this website is in no way controlled by NIU administration, faculty or staff.
Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board; columns reflect the opinion of the author, not the Northern Star.
Advertisement policy
The Northern Star does not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, handicapped or veteran status, or sexual orientation. Nor does it knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws. To place an advertisement or receive more information regarding advertising rates, contact the Northern Star advertising team at 815-753-0707 or at [email protected].
Hiring
Student employees must carry a minimum of six NIU semester hours and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. The Northern Star hires reporters throughout each semester. A 14 week training period determines whether the reporter earns a staff position. Other staff positions — including copy editors, designers, photographers and ad-sales staff — are determined by editors and managers. To apply online, click here.