Who Writes and Publishes Articles on The Skidmore News?

Updated

Articles on The Skidmore News are written by named student journalists and published by the paper itself as independent campus journalism — not by Skidmore College's administration or communications office. The bylines visible on the homepage belong to individual students, and the publication's own tagline, "The Campus Authority since 1925," frames it as a long-running student-run outlet. If you are trying to judge whether a given piece reflects the college's official position, the answer is no: treat it as student reporting and student opinion.

What the bylines tell you

Every featured article on the homepage carries a named author. The visible examples include:

  • Lyla Metheny — two featured pieces dated September 28, 2026, including a critique of Sydney Sweeney's return to advertising for the sports betting platform Novig
  • Casey Byrne and Shayla Gerkin — co-bylined coverage of SGA Speech Night, Fall 2026 (September 24, 2026)
  • Bradley Kadets — a report on SGA beginning financial compensation for some members (September 18, 2026)
  • Aaron Sensenig — "A Sign of Our Times," on the Artemis II splashdown (May 5, 2026)

Two patterns are worth noting. First, articles are attributed to individuals rather than to a department, office, or "Staff." Second, co-bylines appear (Byrne and Gerkin), which is typical of student newsrooms where reporters pair up on event coverage.

Why this points to student-produced journalism

Several signals in the site's own content support reading it as student work rather than institutional messaging:

  • Subject matter. The featured stories cover campus governance (SGA elections, SGA compensation), student-facing commentary, and general news — the standard beat structure of a college paper, not the announcements a college press office issues.
  • Critical and opinion framing. The Sweeney piece is framed as commentary ("Just Sports or Just Disrespectful?"), and the SGA compensation story reports a change in student government policy. A college's own communications would not typically publish critical opinion under its institutional voice.
  • Section structure. The navigation lists News, Arts and Entertainment, Sports, Opinions, Features, About, Archive, and Contact — a conventional student newspaper layout.
  • The tagline. "The Campus Authority since 1925" is a self-description by the publication, signaling a long-standing independent editorial identity rather than an official college channel.

How to use this when reading a specific article

If you need to know… What to check What it means
Who is accountable for the piece The byline at the top A named student author, not an office or administrator
Whether it is fact reporting or opinion The section (News vs. Opinions) and the headline framing Opinions pieces are the author's view, not the paper's or the college's
Whether it represents Skidmore College Whether any college office is credited as author or source No — the paper is separate from institutional communications
Whether it is current The date shown with the article Dates are listed per article (e.g., September 28, 2026)

Practical takeaways

  • Cite it as student journalism. Attribute a claim to the named reporter and The Skidmore News, not to "Skidmore College."
  • Separate reporting from commentary. A News-section piece and an Opinions-section piece carry different weight; the Sweeney article, for example, is argument, not a neutral report.
  • Verify anything consequential. For decisions that depend on accuracy — policy, deadlines, official positions — confirm with the college or the relevant office directly, since a student paper is an independent account.
  • Use the About and Contact pages if you need the publication's own description of its mission or a way to reach the editors about a correction.