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Letter From the Editor: Today is Guardian Day

Guardian Day

Guardian Day | Photo by Soham Parikh | Graphic by Dylan Collison | The Wright State Guardian


Two years ago today, the first “Guardian Newspaper Day” was celebrated, created by a Student Government Association (SGA) proclamation during the Daniel Palmer administration.

Today, we no longer call ourselves a newspaper, but a media group, and this day holds special meaning to everyone on our staff after the trying year 2020 presented.

As student journalists, we provided essential coverage this past year, providing the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 election, and social injustices in America and local communities.

In addition to these national topics, we report on the ongoing retrenchment processes occurring at Wright State University (WSU) alongside other important local issues.

Although the original purpose for Guardian Day was to recognize the Guardian’s work during the faculty strike, the event has turned into a time to celebrate The Guardian staff’s incredible work and their hard work from the past year.

Adapting Coverage

Our coverage this year is a bit different due to the pandemic. Instead of covering events on campus, we covered coronavirus updates on the national and local levels. We also focused our coverage on the upheaval the pandemic caused in students’ lives, staff and faculty.

As an organization, we work to document the truly unprecedented times we are currently living through.

On March 22, The Wright State Guardian will celebrate 56 years of existence. We have grown tremendously from starting as The Daily Guardian newspaper in 1965, and we continue to innovate with no plans of stopping.

Guardian Day
Guardian Day | Photo by Soham Parikh | Graphic by Dylan Collison | The Wright State Guardian

Accomplishments and Organization Changes

Although I came into the position of Editor-in-Chief in the midst of a pandemic, the staff I have the privilege of leading has made the experience unforgettable.

An accomplishment that previous and current staff can be proud of, The Guardian won in three different categories in the Best of College Journalism SPJ Awards: second place in News Writing, second place in features writing, and first place for Best College Newspaper Daily.

A staff of about 15 people during the fall 2019 semester is now over 30 and growing. Each of these members has a special place in the organization and contributes content, whether through writing, social media, graphic design, etc.

On Election Day (Nov. 3), The Guardian had a team of around 12 members working throughout the night delivering live news coverage to our community. Covering both local and national elections, we had a team of editors, reporters, social media managers, and interns working from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.

In addition to covering coronavirus news and the 2020 election, The Guardian has been working on a new project: Flight Magazine. This annual magazine will publish once a year in the spring and focus on highlighting the lives and culture of Wright State students, staff, faculty and the surrounding community.

During the fall 2020 semester, The Guardian successfully launched the Spotlight News app, allowing for our content to be available via an app for the first time. We also rebranded our video segments previously called “The Guardian Spot” to “GTV” for a more professional name that fit our brand and allowed for growth.

Thank you for the continued support

The coverage we provide to our community and the awards we win would be nonexistent without the constant support from our community and alumni.

Thank you for continuing to read our content, donating on important days like Student Press Freedom Day, and taking our reporting seriously. We work hard to provide accurate and truthful information, and your support pushes us forward.

At an institution that does not have a journalism program, alumni’s support and knowledge are essential in building our program and continually improving our journalism practices.

This past Friday, we had the pleasure to meet with three of our alumni, Sarah Cavender, Justin Boggs and Josh Swaggart. It was a phenomenal experience for everyone involved, and the knowledge shared is incomparable to anything else.

Happy Guardian Day and thank you.


Makenzie Hoeferlin

Editor-in-Chief

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