Written by Shreya Gupta
Writing this editorial seemed quite daunting, especially considering the Beaver has been under the same leadership for two whole years. What can I say that wholly captures this new era, this new team, this new vision,without making it sound monotonous? My first thought was to write about my own experience with the Beaver, but realistically that isn’t what I want you to spend the next few minutes reading. Then I thought maybe I’d find inspiration in past editorials written by past executives. Yet, if I’m honest, they sounded so effortless that it only made me more anxious. What it did make me realise, though, is that each executive brings their own perspective to the Beaver, and writes in their own distinct style. That’s what makes each era of our newspaper so beautifully unique. This is my own attempt at just that.
I think of this newspaper as a ‘work in progress,’ probably stemming from my own mindset going into my final year at LSE. We’ve all become accustomed to being the best at everything, constantly finding something to put on our CV, and having a detailed career path planned to a tee. That’s not to say having high standards for ourselves is a bad thing – but expecting to always meet that standard is. After all, two years ago, journalism wasn’t even a thought that crossed my mind. I loved to write, but never considered it passionately enough to think of it as a career. And yet, I fell in love with it. Being Opinion Editor to writing this as the new Executive – definitely not the journey I would have imagined for myself. But now, I can’t imagine my final year without walking into the Media Centre and seeing a pile of freshly printed new Beaver issues.
In reality, we are all works in progress; we need to learn to adapt to changing times, rather than restricting our options and sticking to a pre-made plan. I can’t map out every single Beaver issue this academic year in advance before things happen.
That’s exactly what I recognised in our first meeting with the new executive team – the way each of us brought new ideas and a fresh mindset on how to improve our newspaper for our readers, rather than trying to be the best and report on everything that comes our way. That said, we’ve made changes that we hope reflect our attempt at adapting to a new age of media.
From new roles, like Head of Digital and Head of Inter-Uni Collaboration, to new sections, like Lifestyle and Arts & Culture, these changes point to a simple yet powerful ambition:
The Beaver isn’t passive. We are not a transmission belt reporting exactly what we hear and see, nor do we act as just a space for a set few talented writers and editors. Rather, we aim to shape conversations and narratives, playing an active role in engaging with LSE’s student body and the wider London network. This is why we’ve expanded our digital team, created new sections, and, most importantly, worked to foster meaningful relationships with contributors and editors.
This first issue of the 26/27 academic year reflects the brilliant work put in by our hard-working team, throughout the summer nonetheless. I am truly honoured to work with such an enthusiastic and supportive team, and very excited to see what the next year brings. I hope you are too.
And so we’ve finally begun. A brand new issue with a brand new team, yet an ongoing ambition, carrying the same Beaver spirit since 1949 I hope to bring forward into this new era.
