Now that we, the 110th Editorial Board of The Choate News, have completed our transition the helm of the paper, we would like to thank our predecessors for their support throughout the handover. Your instruction and guidance has allowed us to begin our tenure on a strong footing; in the past month, we developed a logo, created a video section, polished a new website, and continued longstanding efforts to improve the impact and legacy of this paper.
At the beginning of the winter term, we poured through the archives and examined the history of this publication. We were not only struck by the legacy of the newspaper at Choate, but also by the ways in which each Editorial Board has crafted the paper. Even in our time at Choate, different Boards have added social media accounts, made major layout changes, built a production team, and added editors. As we wrote, edited, designed, and laid out our first issue, we looked to the work of our predecessors for guidance. We also recognized, however, the importance of making the paper in our own vision, for The Choate News must continue its legacy of constant evolution and improvement.
The Choate News is one of the longest-standing organizations at Choate. After more than a century of operation, the paper has evolved with the ages, seen hundreds of editors, and had more than a few names. The one thing that it has lacked, however, is detachment from its institution. Choate pays our bills, gives us space to work, and determines our publishing schedule. We are gracious for the continued support from Choate that has been granted to the paper throughout the years, including the interviews faculty and staff almost always grant our reporters. Without that support, the paper never would have grown to where it is today.
However, the very support that puts The Choate News into existence puts it into difficult situations when it comes to controversial issues. In its farewell editorial published in the final issue of 2015, the 108th Editorial Board of The News wrote, “We are a newspaper in the unique position of reporting on its own institution. We are subservient to the entities we’re covering.”
While some of our peer newspapers have been granted considerable autonomy from their schools, The Choate News does not have this level of independence. Every issue, we walk the line between independence and dependence, between balanced, honest, critical reporting and meeting the needs of the school. This Editorial Board will not seek to depart from this delicate balance. Rather, we will seek to improve it. To ensure the lasting impact of The Choate News, we aim to lay a foundation for future Mastheads to craft their own legacies — legacies that will surely be greater than our own.
We, the 110th Editorial Board of The Choate News, are out to make neither friends nor enemies. We are here to discover and report the untouched truth and foster conversation in the Choate community. While we may not always be successful in this endeavor, we ask the entire Choate community — students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni — to work with and support us.
However impactful we wish to be during our time leading the newspaper, our work is only as valuable as those of you who pick up the newspaper and read it. If we do our jobs in the coming year, we will nudge the line we walk with each issue, moving it a little further from dependence. This will only be possible, however, if each member of this extensive community becomes a part of the legacy of this paper — and we hope you’ll come along for the ride.
