Dear Bison Community,
For over 100 years, The Hilltop has written stories by Howard students, for Howard students. Our primary audience is the Howard community, the HBCU community and the Black community. As such, each story we choose to write is in the interest of these groups. When students were robbed at gunpoint on campus in January, we covered the incident. When a student died as a result of a car crash that occurred on April 11, 2024, we covered that. When a student won a scholarship from Dean Emeritus Phylicia Rashad and Taraji P. Henson in January, we covered that too.
I wish all the stories we write could be uplifting and good news, but that is not journalism. Journalism reflects the reality of the world, both good and bad. The Black press began with Freedom’s Journal, which said, “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.” The Black press is essential because it tells our own stories from our own perspectives, and holds our own systems and institutions accountable. As the Editor-in-Chief of The Hilltop, I am invested in what our readers want to know and also what they need to know, even if it is not always good news.
On Sept. 6 a Howard student was arrested for allegedly possessing crack cocaine and fleeing from law enforcement. I was surprised to see discourse surrounding an article The Hilltop wrote about it questioning our decision to write the piece. Particularly given the current deployment of federal troops in Washington, D.C., it is crucial for us to stay informed and up-to-date on these matters. There should be no question that this is pertinent information for the Howard community. The university released communications from the Office of Student Affairs and the Howard University Department of Safety, via email and social media. We reported on a story that was already out there, aiming to provide additional context that was missing from the existing narrative.
The Hilltop followed our established reporting process and adhered to recognized journalistic standards, including the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. When writing a story about an arrest, especially when it has just occurred, it is routine to get details from police reports and public records. This is not to say that all information in those documents is 100% factual, but to give the public access to the information as it is being processed by the law enforcement and legal systems. As journalists, we understand that everyone has their own perspectives on situations and the truth lies somewhere in between. Our job is to represent as many perspectives as possible to create the fullest depiction of the truth possible and let readers interpret that information for themselves.
In a story like this, that of course means reaching out to the students involved in the incident, including the student who was arrested, to get their perspective. In this case, we did not know the identity of the students in the car other than the student who was arrested. When we reached out, the student declined to comment on his arrest and his attorney did not respond. In other words, student voices were not missing from the story because The Hilltop intentionally excluded them. Additionally, it is not too late for us to add additional information or perspectives.
I saw assertions that our reporting is false information or spreading misinformation. We did not make any claims without attributing them to a particular source. The article reported on a matter of public record, clearly identified the charges as allegations and was reviewed to ensure fairness, accuracy and sensitivity. We are more than willing to include additional information as long as it is verifiable, and we plan to continue our reporting on this story as the court hearings continue and body camera footage becomes available.
In the words of our founder, Zora Neale Hurston, “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” Our decision to write stories does not come from a place of harm or disrespect, but rather an intent to uncover facts, hold people and institutions accountable, and ignite discussions. In a world where we did not write this story, we would have been withholding information and keeping people in the dark. That is not aligned with the purpose of The Hilltop, and it should not be how any newspaper operates.
The Hilltop values readers’ opinions and welcomes feedback and criticism. I encourage readers to submit a Letter to the Editor, which we publish to reflect the perspectives of our community about stories we write and other Howard-related matters. To do so, please email your letter to eic1@thehilltoponline.com. Thank you for your continued support of our work.
In Truth and Service,
Sydney Goitia-Doran
Editor-in-Chief
