Editorial: First Edition

There’s a saying in the newspaper world that “journalism is the first draft of history.” So why is this newspaper, this edition, so historic? For one thing, it adds to Lincoln’s extensive list of firsts.  

This is not Lincoln’s first newspaper. The last time Lincoln got to say it was publishing its first newspaper was 1909. None of us were there to see the release of the very first Lincoln edition, nor were any of the staff working in the school at that time. Despite that, we know quite a bit about the school and the community around Lincoln from 1909-1981. That is all thanks to the newspaper. You might be thinking, why is that important right now? What is this newspaper doing? Well, like the quote says, we are writing history. 100 years from now, newspaper staff will be looking through the archives, just as I and the rest of the newspaper staff have done with old copies, searching for ideas, inspiration, and records of what happened 100 years ago. Maybe they’ll find an abundance of “Hot Takes”, sports scores, or updates about Lincoln’s first real homecoming. Whatever it is, it will give them a glimpse into life at Lincoln in 2022.   

Journalists and newspaper staff often get a bad rap. They’re seen as nosy, overly-persistent. Sometimes journalists are treated like heros. They solve crimes and uncover secrets about government doings. And yes, some of that might be true. In reality, what we do is report. We live and go to school in a community that is so large, it is impossible to truly know everything that is going on at any given moment. The newspaper does that! It keeps people connected, engaged, and informed. It lets people know what needs to be fixed, or the latest developments, and most of all, it brings people together.  

This is the first edition of our newspaper in 41 years. We aren’t always going to get it right. Some days you may hate it, some days you may love it, but at the end of the day, read the paper, have an opinion, and stay informed.

Corey Hoffman, Editor-in-Chief