Who Writes and Edits the Articles on The Broadside?

Updated

The Broadside is the student news site of Central Oregon Community College (COCC), and its articles are written by a mix of student contributors, staff reporters, and editors. Each story carries a byline identifying the author's role—such as "Contributor," "Staff reporter," or "Editor"—along with a publication date. Because it is a student-run publication, content includes reported news, features, and opinion pieces that reflect student perspectives rather than a professional newsroom's editorial standards.

Who is behind the bylines

The site credits three main types of writers:

  • Contributors — often students or community members submitting individual pieces. Example: Lindsey Spakousky, listed as "Contributor," wrote a story about a KPOV radio DJ class.
  • Staff reporters — regular student reporters covering campus and community topics. Example: Dylan Piazza, "Staff reporter," wrote about meditation and prayer and about AI and the job market.
  • Editors — student editors who also write and oversee content. Examples: Madeline Bell ("Editor") and Ray Randall ("Editor").

How attribution works

Every article displays:

  • The author's name
  • Their role (Contributor, Staff reporter, Editor, Columnist)
  • The publication date

This format lets readers see who produced each piece and when. For example, "Echoes of Oz" is labeled as a "Featured column" by Atticus King, "Staff reporter," published June 12, 2026.

What this means for credibility

Because The Broadside is student-run:

  • Reported pieces (like the KPOV DJ class or the job fair story) aim to inform but are produced by students still developing journalism skills.
  • Opinion and columns (like "Opinion: it could be worse" or the "Echoes of Oz" column) clearly reflect a single author's viewpoint, not the publication's stance.
  • Editorial oversight exists through student editors, but it is not equivalent to a professional newsroom's fact-checking and review process.

How to evaluate a specific article

  1. Check the byline and role to see whether the writer is a contributor, staff reporter, or editor.
  2. Note the publication date to understand timeliness.
  3. Identify the article type—news, feature, opinion, or column—since opinion pieces are personal perspectives.
  4. Treat student-reported content as a starting point and verify critical facts with primary sources when accuracy matters.

In short, The Broadside's articles are written and edited by COCC students in various roles, with clear bylines and dates, and readers should weigh the student-run nature and article type when assessing each piece.