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Student paper laid groundwork for Cornell scandal coverage

Cornell University students walk through campus on November 3, 2023 in Ithaca, New York. — Cornell University. Photo: Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images

The Cornell Daily Sun's coverage of the fraternity rape scandal, long before it became a national story, shows how critical student newspapers have become in providing transparency to local communities and holding university executives accountable.

Why it matters: The paper has been doggedly pursuing the story for years, helping to establish the groundwork for national reporters, who would only later look into the case.

"[A]s student journalists, our responsibility to the campus community is shining light on the opaque parts, on the dark corners of Cornell," Cornell Daily Sun editor-in-chief Sophia Dasser told The Cut.

"This is a perfect example of that, so we wanted to focus specifically on the lack of transparency. The outrage was really sourced in the fact that no one knew what was going on for 23 months," she said.

Zoom out: Student journalists are increasingly serving as community watchdogs while traditional news outlets shrink.

But their independence is under threat as they become more reliant on university funding amid the decline in advertising revenue.
At least 56.1% of college newspapers at schools with more than 5,000 students receive funding from their institutions, per a 2024 University of Florida study.

Go deeper: Student journalists step up

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Student paper laid groundwork for Cornell scandal coverage

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