As the state of national mass media continues to evolve, so does the Northern Star newsroom. I can say with confidence that never before has the paper invested so much effort into changing its ways of thinking to develop new ways to present information to readers.

It is this attitude of change and constant improvement that prompted an internal evaluation of the way the newspaper communicates with readers, its most important priority. After careful consideration, it was decided that readers deserve a more efficient way of ensuring their voice is heard. On a campus of 25,000 students, the paper admittedly does its best to provide an outlet to the most number of people, but logistical concerns prevent that from happening to its full potential.

This is why the position of public editor was created. At the most basic level, the role serves as an advocate to the readers. Acting independently from the Star staff, the position works to ensure all readers feel they are being accurately and adequately represented.

This means that if any reader has a concern about the paper’s reporting decisions, the public editor will work for them to find a solution. Another goal of the position is to make the paper’s newsroom more transparent to readers. To promote this effort, a daily blog, found at blog.northernstar.info/publiceditor, will explain the reasoning behind content decisions. In addition, a weekly column, found in Thursday’s paper, will address hot-button issues and examine national trends in the media as they relate to the Star.

In short, regardless of past errors and misgivings on the part of the newspaper, the Northern Star is now extending an open gesture toward the student body. The Star hopes to continue to promote good working relations with readers to most accurately represent the events occurring on the NIU campus. If any reader feels they are not being represented accurately or adequately in the paper, I encourage them to contact me using the information below.