Every media outlet has opposition, but in the past few weeks, The Optimist has become glaringly aware of theirs.

While every journalist or journalism student is prepared to face pushback when sharing opinions or news that doesn’t always focus on the positives, sometimes it is important to step back and remember why student media exists in the first place. 

The Optimist, first and foremost, serves the ACU community. As a media outlet, we ask uncomfortable questions that students want answers to but will not or can not ask.

We exist to entertain, such as features on students and staff, to educate, with news pieces on ACU policy, to elevate, with student success stories like Weston and the Evergreen and to keep accountable, with news pieces on spending or opinion pieces on racial relations on campus.

Especially as we enter times of uncertainty, education and accountability tend to cloud the rest.

Just because we are called The Optimist doesn’t mean we can’t to be realistic about the issues we face today in society and on campus. At its root, The Optimist exists to provide news, and that news isn’t always pleasing to read.

From pitching story ideas to publication, every story is written with the intention of informing the ACU community. Any situation where our writers are refused an interview or ignored is a detriment to this community.

The Optimist is an entirely student-run media outlet. While it is open to all majors, the ability to produce content at The Optimist is vital for journalism and mass communication majors and their education. This ability can not only dictate our grades, but the amount of writing and content production that we do at ACU can dictate our careers. 

As we strive to “be better,” we ask the ACU community to understand we are here to serve you. While we encourage all perspectives and opinions, we ask that you respect the importance of this experience for students and scholars.