What kinds of news and topics does The Daily Eastern News cover?
Updated
The Daily Eastern News is the student news site of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, and its coverage centers on three main areas: campus news, EIU sports, and student opinions. If you want to know what the site publishes before reading or citing it, expect reporting on university governance and events, game previews and results for Eastern's teams, and columns and editorials written by students.
Campus news: student government and university events
The news section follows what is happening inside EIU administration and campus life. Recent examples from the site show the range:
- Student government: A report on the EIU Student Senate hearing presentations about Booth Library's need for a dean and a nonvoting faculty position on the Board of Trustees.
- University events: Coverage of the 2026 EIU Homecoming Parade, described as the largest of the homecoming events, with Charleston residents lining the streets.
- Campus groups and alumni: A story on Shadoobee, a band originally formed at Eastern in 1988, returning to campus for a homecoming performance.
- Awards and donations: Items such as an awards ceremony recognizing donations from alumni.
These stories are typically written by student reporters and editors, with bylines and dates shown alongside each item.
Sports: EIU teams through the season
Sports coverage focuses on Eastern Illinois University athletics, with previews, results, and standings analysis. Examples include:
- Soccer: A preview of the final day of the regular season for both the women's and men's teams, and a report on the men's team falling into a four-way tie in the OVC standings after a 1-1 second-half situation against Southern Indiana.
- Football: A preview of the Panthers (2-6, 1-2) facing UT Martin (3-5, 2-1) on the road, with both teams looking to rebound.
Coverage is organized under a Sports section and written by sports editors and reporters, so scores, records, and conference standings appear directly in the stories.
Opinions: columns and editorials
The Opinions section publishes student-written commentary on campus and cultural topics. Examples from the site include:
- A column arguing that group work is "a necessary evil" for students.
- An editorial board piece arguing that higher education is unprepared to grapple with the benefits and consequences of artificial intelligence.
- A columnist's piece asking who decides what "ideal beauty" is and how media shapes those views.
These pieces are labeled as columns or editorials and carry the writer's name and role, which helps you distinguish personal commentary from reported news.
How to use the site
If you are researching EIU or student journalism, the section structure is the fastest way in: use the News, Sports, and Opinions sections to narrow by topic, and check bylines and dates to confirm who wrote a piece and when. For campus governance or event details, the news stories quote presentations and meetings directly; for athletics, the sports stories include records and standings you can verify against official conference sources.