Who writes for The Northerner and how is its content organized?

Updated

The Northerner is Northern Kentucky University's independent student newspaper, and its articles carry bylines identifying student staff reporters and editors. Content is grouped into sections—News, Sports, and Arts & Life—with each story attributed to a named writer and their role, such as staff reporter, managing editor, or section editor.

Who writes the articles

Every article on the site carries a byline naming the writer and their position on the staff. The roles visible in bylines include:

  • Staff reporter — general assignment writers covering news and campus events
  • Managing editor — oversees editorial operations and also reports
  • Section editor — leads a specific desk, such as Sports Editor or Arts and Life Editor

For example, a news piece on Ohio's voter ID amendment is credited to "Lura Becker, Staff reporter," while sports coverage of NKU men's soccer carries "Michele Mcnulty, Sports Editor." This byline pattern lets readers see whether a story comes from a beat editor or a general reporter.

How content is organized

The homepage groups stories under three main section headings:

Section What it covers Example stories
News Campus, regional, and state politics; elections; university events Voter ID amendment, Trump rally at Truist Arena, Ohio governor's race
Sports NKU Norse teams and Horizon League play Men's soccer draw vs. Wright State, women's volleyball sweeps
Arts & Life Campus culture, events, and student life Big Pink Volleyball fundraiser, Live at the Loch, SOTA costume work

Each section lists recent stories with headlines, bylines, and short excerpts, plus a "View All" link to browse the full section.

Is it news or opinion?

The publication describes itself as "The Independent Student Newspaper of Northern Kentucky University." News stories are reported and bylined; the site's structure separates reporting (News, Sports, Arts & Life) from commentary. When reading, check the byline role and section label—a staff reporter's news piece differs from an editor's analysis or a labeled opinion column.

What this means for readers

  • Credibility check: Use the byline to identify who wrote a story and their staff role.
  • Topic navigation: Go straight to News for politics and campus events, Sports for Norse athletics, or Arts & Life for culture coverage.
  • Student perspective: Content reflects student journalists covering their campus and surrounding region, including Kentucky and Ohio politics.