by Kaelynd Brouillette ’29 on November 20, 2025
Opinion
On Nov. 16, 1935, the very first edition of the Providence College newspaper we all know and love, The Cowl, was published. As I reflect on the 90th anniversary of The Cowl, I have come to recognize how remarkable it is for a student-run newspaper to survive and thrive for nine decades. I believe that student-run newspapers are incredibly important to college campuses, as they act as living timelines of an institution’s political, cultural, and social evolution. The Cowl’s monumental milestone is not just an anniversary for Providence College, but also a reminder of the enduring role student-led journalism plays across campuses nationwide. Student newspapers do matter. Across the country, campus publications serve as watchdogs, historians, and cultural critics all at once. At various schools and higher education institutions across the country, student reporters have exposed financial mismanagement, challenged administrative decisions, and brought national attention to issues that otherwise might have been ignored. These papers, including The Cowl, show that student journalism is often seen as one of the most active democratic institutions a campus has.
In an era where universities so carefully manage their public identities, college newspapers remain an example of the few places where open dissent can still be aired for the public. For example, in The Cowl edition published on April 25, 2024, a collective of students, staff, alumni, and faculty wrote an article directed towards Father Sicard O.P. ’78, ’82G, calling out hypocrisy and systematic oppression towards members of the LGBTQ+ community on campus. Anonymous letters to the editor, such as the one mentioned above, allow for members of our college community to express concerns and critique campus culture in ways official university messaging never could. Student newspapers remain mostly independent from administration, giving them the power to report on issues that could otherwise remain buried in bureaucracy, such as violations of student rights, system-wide oppression as mentioned above, Title IX mishandlings, and failures in mental health services. In fact, The Cowl reported on almost all of the aforementioned issues here at PC. University newspapers can also be a training ground for civic engagement, as student journalism teaches investigation, healthy skepticism, fact-checking, and public communication, which are all foundations of a functioning democratic campus and nation. Many major journalists, politicians, and public thinkers started their careers in college newspapers, learning the responsibility of correctly informing a community and gaining experience in cultivating political awareness. Even for students who do not have any prior journalism experience, such as myself, participation in a student-run newspaper can cultivate a deeper understanding of how institutions work, as well as many important skills, such as research, writing, and critical thinking, that will benefit them in all aspects of life. Ultimately, the role of student newspapers goes far beyond reporting news, as they preserve the integrity of campus life by ensuring truth, accountability, and that student voices never disappear behind the walls of institutions.
Yet, while student newspapers play a critical role, their existence is far from assured. Student publications face mounting challenges that threaten the very work they do, including budget cuts, the rise of digital media, and censorship by administration. For example, the Indiana University student newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student, is facing challenges from its administration that led to its staff advisor being fired for refusing his superior’s request to censor the paper. The University also attempted to cancel the physical printing of the paper, sparking a First Amendment lawsuit against the University. The increasing pressure from university administrations, who sometimes attempt to limit key reporting or show control over publishing decisions, as well as many other struggles college newspapers face, has made it progressively more difficult to operate with the influence they once had. Despite these pressures, student journalists continue to do the work anyway, often unpaid, unrecognized, and at odds with institutional comfort. College newspapers persist not because it is easy, but because students believe their campus deserves honesty, reflection, and important discourse to raise awareness about issues and create a necessary change. The fact that The Cowl has endured for 90 years is a testament to PC’s history, but also to the countless students who refused to let the publication fade, even in moments when support was limited or interest waned.
So, as we celebrate this important Cowl milestone, it is worth imagining where The Cowl might be 90 years from now. Perhaps it will exist entirely in digital form, with the words of students never reaching paper, or maybe the demand for print will continue, and maybe even grow. Perhaps journalism will look entirely different than how it does now, shaped by technologies we have not even conceived yet. Nonetheless, if The Cowl retains the spirit that has carried it through nearly a century, the idea that students deserve a platform that is truly their own, then its future will remain hopeful, even in an uncertain media landscape. And perhaps, that is the real legacy of student journalism: despite the challenges, despite the shifts and pressures, it endures, because students insist on telling the truth about the place they call home.