In a recent critique of the Northern Star, an NIU graduate student reproached the publication’s content for generally leaning liberally and not promoting conservative voices.
The Northern Star is dedicated to unbiased news reporting. However, when it comes to opinion columns and editorials, they are the opinions of those who write them. The voices represented at this publication directly reflect on our staff.
The Northern Star has previously published columns reflecting more traditionally conservative values. However, while we would still be willing to publish this content now, there is a lack of opinion columnists who hold conservative ideals.
For editorials, they are the opinion of the Northern Star Editorial Board. The Northern Star Editorial Board is comprised of the editor-in-chief, managing editor, opinion editor, news editor, sports editor, lifestyle editor, photo editor and social media editor – who unanimously decide on an opinion for an article that represents the greater publication’s direction at the time.
“The purpose of any editorial is to release something that not only the people at the publication believe in, but also something that the news organization believes is vital information for its readers to know,” Editor-in-Chief Edison Miller said.
As NIU’s student newspaper, the Northern Star staff is mainly composed of student volunteers. That means students are not selected based on political bias but on their willingness to apply and put in the necessary work for the job.
After you are a Northern Star staff member, you can join the editorial board by applying for an editor position at the end of the semester when the roles reopen. Editors are hired based on a variety of skills – such as editing, leadership, writing, journalistic sense and more – regardless of their political beliefs.
“Since the Northern Star is a place where you’ll start out as a volunteer, the standards for new hires aren’t necessarily too high – we really just look for motivated, driven, smart individuals who are willing to put in the work and learn journalism,” Miller said. “We’re looking for any student who is curious to learn more about the community, has a good head on their shoulders and is willing to put in some work, whether they come from any major, any background or any ideology.”
If, as a conservative Huskie, you are unhappy with the lack of representation in NIU’s news media, you can apply for the Northern Star. We cannot publish a specific opinion on a topic if no one on staff holds that opinion.
If a position at the Northern Star is not the right option for you but you would still like to share your voice, you can also submit an opinion piece through the Express Yourself project. This allows readers to share their thoughts on important issues.
No matter your political views or experience level, the Northern Star could be the place for you. If you want the chance to share your opinions via a column, apply today.
