More than 50 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., America still strives to fulfill what is left of the dream. We aspire to live up to the example King set in his transformative work for justice, empowerment and inclusion through love and nonviolence.

And it is on the third Monday of every January since 1983 that Americans honor his legacy and, in their own way, ask themselves what King believed was “life’s most persistent and urgent question… What are you doing for others?”

That question asks us to hold ourselves accountable to do more for one another, to better the world around us however we are capable and conquer today’s problems with “unarmed truth and unconditional love.”

Civil Rights Era journalism is a testament to the power today’s media possesses to answer that question, the power that accompanies our responsibility to deliver the truth to our respective communities.

So, as The News reflects on 2018, we would like to commit this new year to our own accountability.

We are an entity in constant pursuit of the truth, and our responsibility is to tell stories with the highest level of objectivity and efficacy. That responsibility is defined by the audience we serve: the Northeastern community.

Accountability means The News will fulfill its commitment to inclusion by actively increasing diversity rather than reiterating a promise frequently followed by inaction. Furthermore, that commitment requires our editorial board to reflect on the privilege that comes with having a white majority on staff.

The News should emulate the increasingly diverse student body of Northeastern and strive for this goal within our organization —  not only in how we report, but what content we publish.

Accountability is the only way to ensure our newsroom fosters an open environment to people of different races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, ideologies and so on.

We strive to live up to Northeastern’s motto, “Lux, Veritas, Virtus.” Local, community-focused journalism exists to illuminate the stories of the people it serves. We want to be the publication students turn to for their community’s truth, where they see their interests reflected in our content. To work toward these high-minded goals, to grow into these aspirations, we must acknowledge where we have failed.

One of our objectives is to connect and improve our relationships with student organizations on campus to enhance the diversity of our coverage. Tell us about your student organizations and the passionate people who make them happen.  We want to know what is important to you, whether it’s through a story suggestion or a submission.

We believe the best way to hold ourselves accountable to you, the Northeastern community, is to ask for your feedback. We are still students, after all, and we learn best from one another. Help The News be the best representation of Northeastern and what students are capable of doing in the content we create and share.

King’s words carry a power that continues to resonate with activists, journalists and many other Americans, but this quote seems appropriate as it relates to the power of journalism and the value of what we aim to do to progress:

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

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