Feb 18th
Back in 1920 when Bowling Green State University was called the Bowling Green State Normal School, the BG News was known as the Bee Gee News . The newspaper, originally founded as a student club, has since become such a part of Bowling Green’s daily life that recent Editor in Chief Lisa Halverstadt says, “If you don’t pick up the BG News, you probably don’t know what’s going on.” These days, 9,500 copies of the paper are circulated across campus, throughout town, and beyond to help insure that everyone has access to a copy of "what's going on".
The paper is almost entirely run by university students, though a small number of university staff and faculty members are involved. Some of the student-held positions both in and out of the newsroom include reporters, columnists, photographers, videographers, cartoonists, editors, and copy editors. The staff begins by contacting reporters and photographers early in the morning, and steadily throughout the day the students interview sidewalk goers, post classifieds, edit copy, work on page layout, and oversee the distribution of the paper.
“This is a proving grounds for a lot of young journalists,” says Robert Bortel, Director of Student Publications. The BG News is an ideal place for a student to figure out whether or not he or she wants to work in the industry. Bortel makes it a point to compliment the students on their hard work, as it often can go unrecognized. After the students gather the facts, take the photos, and write the stories, a single typo in the printed paper may leave a reader with a critical opinion.