How has working on a student publication contributed to your personal development and success?
By Holden Lee
I love digging for the truth—scouring leaked documents and filing Freedom of Information Acts to uncover any source that might push a story further. As a journalist, I believe everyone has a compelling story. My role is to create a space where people feel safe enough to reveal their truths – even when the topics are complex and sensitive. I’ve learned truth-seeking and communal discussion is not just a journalistic practice but a societal responsibility that I’ve committed to pursuing in my life.
Last year, I was part of a team of four that interviewed 30+ individuals for an award-winning profile on how the October 7th attack affected our local community. Before we started writing, the writers and editors engaged in a 2-hour long conversation about the angle of the article. Some, especially a Jewish-American editor, had very strong, valid opinions, but to minimize personal bias in our reporting, we collectively decided to keep the focus of the piece on how the conflict impacted local community members.
Over five days, I spent nearly every waking hour writing and designing a two-page spread. I spent hours researching the vastly complex history of the conflict, watching documentaries and talking to religious scholars about the origins of the Zionist movement and the Palestinian expulsion in 1948. Talking to the friends and relatives of victims were the hardest conversations I’ve ever had, as I felt the pain and fear of not being able to talk to family members in southern Israeli kibbutzim or in northern Gaza for days after the attack. But even with classmates I’ve known for years breaking down in front of me, I knew I had a duty to maintain professional distance and balance empathy with objectivity. Each word was meticulously chosen and scrutinized, each source was followed up with to ensure accuracy in quotes and lede-ins. We all knew the sensitivity of the topic and wanted to honor it through accurate reporting.
However, upon publishing, we received swift backlash online and in person, with accusations of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, directed at me and our newspaper. I was frustrated by the negative reception of the work we poured our souls into, but more deeply, I was hurt, as someone who takes immense pride in their work and in fostering a diverse, inclusive community.
To prevent a recurrence, we initiated a review with a professional journalist to identify bias within the article. But gradually, I came to accept that any controversial topic, with or without biased edits, would have likely generated emotional backlash. Writing that article affirmed without a doubt that empowering individuals by truthfully telling their stories outweighed any criticism directed at me over a controversial subject. My job as a journalist is to create a public forum on hard-to-discuss topics by interviewing a diverse range of opinions. If I’m not stirring up debate and criticism, I haven’t done my job properly. Now, as Editor-in-Chief, I’m mentoring younger writers to report on difficult topics with courage, modeling the importance of journalistic integrity in serving our community. From investigating historic racial barriers between my city and a neighboring one to the disregard for homeless residents in our community, we’re questioning and broaching the topics that our society needs to talk more about.
I’ve also been strongly influenced by the people I’ve interviewed. During the article, I talked to a community member who was Israeli but who, as a student at Stanford in the ‘90s, invited the Israeli and Arab student groups to have several civil conversations to try to understand each other better, even amidst the first Intifada. As someone who loves American history, I recognize debate and compromise as foundational tools to gradually improve our imperfect union. Inspired, I’ve sought to implement these deliberative practices into my own life. Whether involving every staff member during editorial decisions or encouraging writers to brainstorm and refine each others’ ideas and angles, I strive to create an environment where open dialogue leads to innovative solutions. I believe this approach is critical in all fields, but especially to combat the polarization our country currently faces.
Authentically told stories connect individuals and enrich societies. In life, I will continue to navigate challenging conversations with openness and compassion, learning from perspectives and experiences different from my own. From the newsroom to the classroom and beyond, I will always prioritize the values journalism has taught me—courage, accountability, and a relentless pursuit of the truth—even if it sometimes means facing criticism along the way.
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