On Jan. 7, 2025, the Palisades Fires of southern California began, resulting in months-long destruction, damage to the environment, and injuries and fatalities for the citizens of the state. During this time, various media sources in the state reported on he forefront, keeping citizens updated and alert during dangerous times.
While mainstream media platforms work tirelessly behind the scenes to investigate the workings of these fires, college newspaper staffs also reported on these fires, dedicating their time to keeping their student body informed during these trying times and learning how to report breaking news as it occurred.
One University that was affected by the Palisades Fires was the University of California (UCLA). While UCLA was not in an evacuation zone, the campus resorted to remote instruction to ensure the safety of its students and staff.
During this time, the University’s newspaper, the “Daily Bruin,” still ran. The newspaper provided students with up-to-date information to their readers on their live “January 2025 Fires” page regarding the air quality, fire containment, and much more regarding the events.
“Although covering the spread of the Los Angeles fires presented new challenges that we haven’t been met with before, doing so also showed us the importance of student journalism in moments of crisis,” stated a spokesperson from the “Daily Bruin.” “It has served as a reminder of our mission to keep everyone on campus informed, especially when our real-time updates made us one of the quickest sources of reliable information for students and often outpaced those of the university.”
They continued, “Being able to provide information on developments as they occur – as we did over the past few weeks – reaffirms the value of student media and that the work we do every day is indispensable. We’re so immensely proud of every one of our staffers and editors who worked so diligently to contribute to our coverage – many of whom did their jobs so courageously even in the face of the knowledge that at any given moment an evacuation warning could arrive in the area.”
While the fires are now over and reporting has gone back to normal campus news, the importance of student journalism still stands. During these trying times, student journalists Proved once again that the work they do means something, and our work affects individuals and communities on a larger, real-world scale.
