Lamplighter’s Promise to Our Community

An updated declaration of our values as we begin a new school year.

We’re entering a school year during extraordinary times. As a community, we’re experiencing a deadly pandemic and powerful protests against police brutality and racial injustice. We’ve witnessed epidemiological and natural disasters, and demands for electoral and social change.

These are all stories that demand our attention. These are all stories that demand good journalism.

So before PLD Lamplighter begins the busy work of writing and filming and editing and interviewing, we want to take a moment to reflect on the values and vision of our organization. 

PLD Lamplighter has always been committed to seeking truth, and we are a platform for student voices from all backgrounds. We know that we must actively listen to our entire community. This means we must tell stories that matter to all of the Dunbar community.

…a publication that is engaged with, and responsive to, our audience.

 

Especially this year, our hope is to be a publication that amplifies voices that are too often unheard, and a publication that is engaged with, and responsive to, our audience. 

Our mission statement reads: PLD Lamplighter exists to produce high-quality media for students, about students, and by students, while developing the skills of and adhering to the standards of professional journalists. PLD Lamplighter provides a forum for student work and the exchange of ideas and opinions. The media produced by PLD Lamplighter strives to be responsible, reliable, and to represent diverse viewpoints and backgrounds.

This year, we promise to hold true to these goals. And we aspire to meet the changing demands of this moment.

In the 2020-21 school year, we hope to be a more accountable and accessible organization than ever before. We will reach out to students of all backgrounds to ask what matters to them. And we encourage students to reach out to us. Whether over social media, email, or via a letter to the editor, we hope you will let us know about the stories, the struggles, and the successes that you think deserve more attention.

If you have an idea for a story, please contact us on Facebook or at @pldlamplighter on Twitter or Instagram, email us at [email protected], or submit a letter to the editor. We look forward to hearing from you.