As this election approaches, you might have seen an increase in the voting and political content in The Eastern Echo. You might also see advertisements appearing on our website, in our newspapers, or in our newsstands.
I want to take this opportunity to speak on behalf of The Eastern Echo as its editor and make clear our stance.
The Echo is an independent, student-operated newspaper, and as students, we recognize the importance of open and informed discussion. We also acknowledge, respect, and uphold the legal protections afforded to students by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
EMU’s student-run campus media have been recognized by the Board of Regents as designated spaces for public student expression.
The paid advertisements you see on Echo newsracks are equal access and equal cost. They are not endorsements. We are not endorsing any candidate, any party, or any issue in this election.
Ads and content in The Echo serve a purpose: They give candidates the opportunity to share their messages and voters the opportunity to know about their choices. There can be a lot of misleading or contradictory information in well-known candidates’ campaigns or in their advertising.
It is our mission to give you the most accurate, clear, and unbiased information in order to not just know your choices, but to understand them.
Your choice, your vote, is on the line in this election, along with the livelihoods, the rights, and the lives of so many people in this country and beyond.
Yours alone may not feel impactful, but every vote counts.
If you are old enough to vote, please get registered, check your registration, and vote. Engage @ EMU is offering free transportation to the polls for anyone who needs it.
The Echo will always be here to serve our community, no matter how this election goes; what you need is what we need.
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
-Thomas Jefferson
Ameera Salman is the editor in chief of The Echo. She has served as a writer and editor with the news organization, including two years as editor of the Cellar Roots literary magazine, since 2022.
