After a three-year hiatus, Campbellsville University’s (CU) student-led publication, The Campus Times, has returned with a slight change – it’s now being published exclusively online.
The Campus Times was originally published by the Central Kentucky News-Journal (CKNJ), but a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the CKNJ changing ownership made publishing and printing logistically unfeasible. The last publication of the newspaper was in 2020.
Journalism Instructor Stevie Lowery, in her second year at CU, initiated the relaunch of the school’s publication. Lowery is an experienced journalist, and worked at The Lebanon Enterprise, a weekly newspaper in central Kentucky, for nearly 20 years before coming to CU.
She believes having a school newspaper is important because it gives students a voice and the practical experience of working for a newspaper. She hopes students from any major, not just mass communication students, will get involved.
“When I was at Murray State, I majored in journalism, but I was incredibly intimidated by the newspaper staff on campus,” Lowery said. “I contributed to the paper but never became a part of the staff, so I missed out on a lot of experience that would have helped me when I got my first job. Not joining my college newspaper is one of my biggest regrets from college.”
Sophomore Laurel Brown transferred from the University of Kentucky, where she had a limited role with the student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel. She’s taking a news writing class with Lowery. Brown said she’s excited to play an active role with the newspaper and believes it will help her with future employment opportunities.
“I’m very excited to be a part of something I can put in my portfolio,” she said. “I will be able to say, ‘Wow, I did that. I’m capable of this.’”
Professor Emeritus Stan McKinney played a similar role in 2000 when he restarted the publication after becoming the adviser to what was then called The Campus Tymes. He promptly changed the name to its current and correct spelling.
McKinney is glad to see its return. Although he’s sad that it’s no longer printed, he believes transitioning to an online format was inevitable and positive. He said alumni often asked about getting a copy of the paper, but mailing them was not in the budget. The online version will allow distribution to a broader audience, including past graduates.
Any student interested in working with The Campus Times can contact Lowery, [email protected], 270-789-5035, for more information.
