Opinion

During the inevitable uncertainty, The George-Anne will be here for you

A letter from Editor-in-Chief Andy Cole

Credit: Glenn Ballard/Gwinnett County Public Schools

Andy Cole, Editor-in-Chief
August 15, 2020

Dear Georgia Southern Community,

First, on behalf of the entire George-Anne Media Group, I want to say welcome and thank you for your continued readership.

In early August, I was named editor-in-chief of The George-Anne. While I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity, I understand the hard work that’s required of my new role — I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

However, in my brief time at The George-Anne, I have been able to witness the power of unmatched reporting. This summer, we’ve seen record readership. With hundreds of thousands of pageviews and over 100,000 engaged minutes, the team and I understand that there’s never been a more important time for journalism in our community, around the country and across the world.

This summer, we broke the news on a student who, after images of her in blackface went viral on social media, had her sorority membership revoked. That reporting was picked up by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, multiple Savannah-local media outlets and viewed, statistically speaking, by every single Georgia Southern student (using Fall 2018 enrollment data of all three GS campuses) plus 1,606, at last check.

We’ve also held the powerful accountable. We received a news tip about a defaced Safe Space sign on-campus. After investigating, we found a 7-month-old Title IX complaint about the same sign. Our reporting led to the reinvestigation of the claim. The sign has since been taken down, according to GS officials.

As we move into the fall semester, a lot is on the minds of college students like myself. What will this semester, amidst a worldwide pandemic, look like? Who will America choose as their next president? And, among other important questions, how will we cope with the all too familiar constant uncertainty?

On August 1, I moved back into Statesboro with my roommates Joey, Nolan and Conor. One night, circled around a backyard bonfire with some of our friends, I realized that, no matter what the world throws at us, we—college students—are a resilient generation.

We grew up only knowing a terror-ridden society. We’ve faced two economic recessions. We went to middle and high school fearing school shooters. All we’ve known is uncertainty. I believe the curve balls that have, and will continue to be thrown at us, make us stronger. I believe in our generation to take what the world has to offer and make the most of it. I know we can.

As we embark on the fall, I encourage all of you to acknowledge the inevitable uncertainty. Because when the curve balls come barreling down on us, my hope is that you would look to us to guide you through these dark times.

The George-Anne will be here for you. Keeping you informed, holding the powerful accountable and, most importantly, helping you understand the world around us.