By Emily Krug, Faculty Co-Advisor for The Kayseean
It may seem odd in 2019 to try to revive a campus newspaper, especially considering the overall trend of decline in newspaper circulation and revenue over the past several years and the proliferation of information sharing through social media. But here we are. It is 2019, and King University’s student newspaper, The Kayseean, is attempting to rise again.
So why are we trying to save a publication in a format that is ringing the death knell in much of the country? It boils down to this: The Kayseean is a record of King’s past, King’s present, and King’s future.
The Past
The first issue of The Kayseean was published October 13, 1933. Students of what was then King College saw a need for a campus newspaper and wrote the first issue. Faculty voted on October 17, 1933 to ratify the publication. Thankfully due to King University Libraries’ Tadlock Archives collection, we have this first issue and almost all other issues published in the eight decades since. This current iteration of the paper is our attempt to honor King’s past and maintain a record for when this time we’re in is the past.
The Present
In keeping with the idea of maintaining a record of life at King, one of our goals is to showcase who King is now. What is King’s culture like? What does life on the Bristol campus look like? What about life on the Knoxville campus or for those students in the online programs? The Kayseean is a snapshot of what’s going on now.
The Future
It’s no secret that we live in an age of fake news, bias, and gaslighting. If we don’t record things as we see them and as King’s community interprets them, how will future generations of King students know and appreciate the rich history of this university? If King students, faculty, and staff don’t demand transparent reporting of the facts, will rumor and legend be the way this era in King’s history is remembered?
Fulfilling King’s Mission
King’s mission says that “we prepare students…to be thoughtful, resourceful, and responsible citizens….” The Kayseean reporters are committed to practicing these values through their reporting and analysis of the news on King’s campus. On our shared workspace in Canvas, our homepage lays out what this means for our reporters.
Thoughtful
Kayseean reporters are expected to approach each story as an intellectual exercise, asking hard questions and moving beyond face-value.
Resourceful
A story can come from anywhere. Kayseean reporters are encouraged to be alert to the stories happening around them.
Responsible
As reporters, the Kayseean staff has a responsibility to report thoroughly and accurately, as well as to bring in voices that may not otherwise be heard.
About Our Name
Who is Kaycee Anne and what does she have to do with the news? Actually, our name is pronounced “kay-SEE-uhn,” and it originated as a phonetic pronunciation of the acronym K-C-N, which stands for “King College News.” The second issue of the paper included a call for a name for the paper, and Kay-See-An was the winning name. Over the years, the spelling has changed to a single word: Kayseean.
