Howard University’s student newspaper, The Hilltop, brands itself as the “the student voice of Howard University,” and for former News Editor Paul Holston, that motto means bringing news from around the District directly to the campus community.
“I desire my audience to be informed of what’s going around us,” Holston said. “D.C. is the nation’s capital, and there’s so much that goes on around here, from social justice movements to ANC meetings to protests.”
The Hilltop’s coverage of African American civil rights leaders stands out to Holston as some of the best reporting that his staff has done so far, and he remains committed to reporting on social issues as they relate to his peers.
“I took the time out to go ride the metro to Arlington for the NAACP Call to Justice March when I heard about them coming up after 47 days of marching,” Holton said. “I try to find what’s around…and localize the news for the primary audience in the Howard community.”
Holston’s proudest moment as news editor this year came when the paper published a tribute to Julian Bond, a civil rights activist and NAACP chairman who passed away this summer. The Hilltop staff members honored Bond’s life with an obituary and messages of remembrance on Twitter. Holston said articles about historical icons, such as Bond, resonate with students and those in the Washington, D.C. community.
“When [students] go to buildings named after these folks, they may not know these people, and that extends out to the D.C. community as well,” Holston said.
While history remains a deeply embedded part of the 91-year-old paper, Editor-in-Chief Taylor Harris said The Hilltop will be embracing a new digital focus next semester. Harris assumed leadership of the paper this summer and almost immediately approached The Hilltop Policy Board with a proposal to cut back on printing. The University cut The Hilltop’s budget in half this year, and Harris said reducing print editions offered the best option for her staff to continue to provide quality news under the new financial restraints. The paper will shift from publishing bi-weekly to weekly starting in the spring.
“Our budget was cut in half, but expectations remain the same,” Harris said. “We have a bi-weekly paid staff of eight to 10 members producing 16 pages each edition. Starting next semester, I think this [new schedule] will help a lot. I reached out to previous editors of The Hilltop, and they all said to do it.”
While Harris runs the paper, Howard University owns The Hilltop, and a policy board holds the right to approve or reject any decisions made by the staff. The policy board, made of up faculty members and students, holds editorial control over all content. Harris said the board hesitated to alter the print schedule, but she ultimately swayed them towards her opinion and looks forward to the digital future of The Hilltop. The paper currently operates Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat accounts, and Harris said The Hilltop will continue to increase social media as a way to complement the print edition. Blogs, however, will likely not emerge from The Hilltop newsroom under Harris’s tenue due to time restraints, she said.
While Holston also anticipates digital growth for The Hilltop, he worries the paper’s relationship with the University will prevent the staff from moving forward quickly with innovative ideas because all decisions must be approved by the Board. Although he said the Board rarely restricts the students’ voices, the staff depends on the Board for approval for new equipment and funding to start digital projects.
“It’s up to the Policy Board to ‘yah’ or ‘nah’ our ideas, and that really hinders us,” Holston said. “Our website is not where it should be right now. Digital, as far as online circulation, is something we should be more focused on. There are a lot stories that happen in D.C. but we are not always up to date when our paper comes out, and your audience always wants the most updated thing.”
The Hilltop produces 9,000 copies of the paper twice a week, and its publishing company distributes the print copies to over 50 places across campus. Harris said local businesses also receive special editions, such as the Homecoming issue.
As the staff adjusts to the modified print schedule next year, Harris said she will continue to bring new digital ideas into the newsroom to make up for the decreased print product. In an effort to learn more about electronic media, Harris attended an annual online news conference in Los Angeles last week and networked with professors and speakers around the country, including several prominent scholars from the District. She said she hopes to continue to grow The Hilltop’s multimedia news and expand content across different platforms, but finding the staff and resources to create more content stands as an obstacle to growth.
“Right now the problem is just producing content, we have enough content just trying to print twice a week,” Harris said. “Our focus is our social media, print and website.”