The Towerlight benefits readers, writers alike
Towerlight editor-in-chief shares how the independent, student-run newspaper positively impacts TU students
By JAMIE ABELL on September 19, 2023
Gabe Donahue started his tenure at The Towerlight as a writer in February 2022 and quickly rose through the ranks to editor-in-chief the following May. During his tenure, he’d like to help grow the newspaper so more people become involved.
“It’s a really meaningful experience with really meaningful work,” Donahue says. “It’s a lot of fun. The more people that are involved, the better and more impactful it will be.”
He doesn’t mean just working at The Towerlight. It should be a resource for all students on campus.
The newspaper covers all things Towson University, ranging from operational updates to happenings across campus, including all things athletics. Each edition also highlights different organizations and students in the TU community to expose the audience to even more opportunities they can take part in.
Readers don’t have to seek out the newsletters either. They can simply subscribe and the news will hit their email inboxes each weekday. Also, the publication has a completely digital presence with every published story finding a home on its website.
Since the beginning of the 2023 academic year, The Towerlight has seen an uptick in stories published by beginning writers, with several writing their first story for the newsletter.
“Towerlight writers, photographers and editors have a unique experience—they're delivering hard news but it’s lower stakes,” explains Donahue. “It’s a lot of fun to explore what’s going on on campus, to chase a story and to get published.”
By working at The Towerlight, students gain invaluable experience of writing, editing, talking to sources, interviewing and writing on deadlines. Donahue recommends that anyone interested in pursuing a career in journalism should consider joining The Towerlight for the much-sought-after experience requested by employers. “The best way to learn journalism is to do journalism, and The Towerlight is journalism,” he added.
As part of his tenure as editor-in-chief, Donahue seeks to bring back more connection for his team. They operate mostly through a group chat since they don’t have a dedicated meeting space. He’s looking forward to implementing more in-person time to bring back the community feel. Also, while maintaining news coverage, he’s encouraging the writers and photographers to explore and cover as much of campus life as they’d like, revitalizing the Arts & Life section.
The Towerlight is an independent, student-run news organization operating at Towson University and exclusively employs TU students but is independent of the university. It first started publishing in 1921 under the name The Oriole. The 501(c)3 nonprofit Baltimore Student Media (BSM), comprised mostly of a volunteer group of TU alums, manages business operations for the outlet, including funding, maintaining the website and sending the daily newsletter.