By Tara Sahgal, Editor in Chief of Roar, King’s College London student newspaper
From one student to another, KCL-LSE backgrounds aside: being a journalist at university is a daunting task.
As a journalist, you feel responsible for ensuring that students – your classmates, friends, and the general student body – are aware of the happenings on campus and the hypocrisy that often bubbles up behind closed doors. As a student, however, it becomes difficult to balance your academic commitments with the demands of journalism.
This is heightened by the fact that more often than not, student newspapers are underfunded, understaffed, and at the receiving end of bureaucratic politics. Roar, the student-run newspaper at King’s, is a prime example of this: despite being a multi award-winning tabloid, we receive very little funding from our Students’ Union (KCLSU) and often hit a roadblock when trying to publish issues which criticise the organisation and its agendas. One such instance was in 2018, when Roar attempted to publish an article exposing the official Justice for Cleaners Facebook group chat for encouraging protesters to disrupt an event on campus. KCLSU ordered that Roar wait a month before publishing the article in order to protect the ‘welfare’ of those students who organised the disruption. These are the same students responsible for inciting violence that hospitalised security guards and led to brawls between activists and students at the event. Despite our article eventually being released, no action was taken against the students involved. At times like these, it becomes difficult for us to function independently and efficiently, because no matter how hard we try to deliver the truth, our hands remain tied by the wishes of a bureaucracy that is more concerned with virtue signalling than actually improving the welfare of students. And it is not just us – most student media organisations across the country have had similar experiences.
Another challenge that I have faced – although minimal in comparison – is coping with the criticism that student media inevitably receives. Our ethos is based on doing public good through the successful dissemination of truth, but like all organisations, we occasionally falter. The criticism we receive for this is often constructive – which is appreciated, because we’re constantly trying to improve, but when it is not, it becomes a bitter pill to swallow. This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not always easy to be the media.
It remains important to understand that recognising these challenges does not mean that I have had a bad experience with student journalism. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite: being a part of student media has helped me grow, both as an individual and as a journalist. Similarly, these challenges have taught me to step out of my comfort zone, adapt to the problems I have faced and persevere. During my time at Roar, I have been able to talk to people from all walks of life and cover stories that I am incredibly passionate about. I have written about departmental sexism at King’s, KCLSU electoral intimidation, and harassment at the library – articles which have had a big impact on me as a journalist. I have also had the opportunity to write about slightly more hair-raising events, such as the London Bridge attack and the plight of a King’s student who was initially stuck in Kashmir during its lockdown. It was hard for me to be objective and put aside my biases while writing these stories, which is a struggle that every journalist faces. Despite this, these experiences proved to be both challenging and rewarding in equal part.
In short, being a journalist at university is a daunting task, but it isn’t something that you should shy away from. Student media is a community, and one thing that has helped me overcome the difficulties I have faced is the passion I see in my fellow student journalists – be it at LSE or at King’s. Our battles are the same: we have all faced the displeasure (and oftentimes, the suppression) of our administration at some point or the other, and we all understand the struggles that come with representing the media. Nevertheless, we do what we have to in order to hold those in power to account and present fair and unbiased news. Of course when it comes to our universities there will always be a sense of competition, but what brings us together is our common passion to seek the truth and make the world a better place – and maybe, just maybe, that is enough to keep me writing.
