Crisis and Scandal on a College Campus: A Newspaper's Battle
Open Access
Author:
Stoller, Kristin L
Area of Honors:
Journalism
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Russell Edgar Eshleman Jr., Thesis Supervisor Martin Halstuk, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Collegiate newspapers Jerry Sandusky Virginia Tech shooting Harvard cheating scandal
Abstract:
On many college campuses, student journalists are thrust into national news stories, often competing with journalists 30 years their senior. In some instances, student journalists rise to the occasion, often out-performing their professional counterparts. This was studied by examining three national crises and scandals: the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case at Pennsylvania State University, the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting at Virginia Tech University, and the Government 1310 cheating scandal at Harvard University. The differences, both good and bad, among collegiate, local and national news outlets were explored in order to gain an understanding about the coverage procedures for each outlet. This thesis draws on a qualitative analysis of collegiate, local and national news outlets’ print and digital products to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each in times of scandal and crisis.
