About

The Cuestonian is the official newspaper of Cuesta College since 1966. Our mission is two-fold: 1) to teach students journalism and 2) to inform our campus community.

For student staff members, The Cuestonian allows you to understand the power of media and communication by publishing your work and receiving feedback from the public. It gives you a chance to showcase and hone your creative and communicative skills. You will develop reporting skills that include interviewing, verifying, corroborating and decision making, as well as your rights and responsibilities as a journalist. You will gain valuable writing skills that will help you in any future professional, technical and vocational field, as well as those allied to journalism. This includes meeting deadlines by creating an organized and methodical approach to your work. This approach will allow you to be a valuable part of a team as both a contributor and leader. Overall, you will make a positive contribution to Cuesta College by holding truth to power and playing a key role in the campus community.

For our audience, The Cuestonian is a news outlet that focuses primarily on the Cuesta College community. It serves to unify the student body by appealing to its members’ common interests and concerns. It provides a forum for student expression and ideas that can be communicated and disseminated across multiple channels to a wide audience. We will serve our audience well by providing fair, well-rounded, unbiased coverage of the entire campus community, using the highest standards of journalistic writing and shared ethics. We aim to deepen understanding of our community’s issues by exploring them from a student perspective. All of these efforts allow our audience to be more knowledgeable participants and citizens of the Cuesta College community.

Editorial Policy

The following editorial policy governs the operations of The Cuestonian, the student newspaper of Cuesta College. This policy outlines our commitment to journalistic integrity, inclusivity and the best interests of our community.

Letters to the Editor

Relevance: Letters to the editor must be relevant to the Cuesta College community, addressing issues, concerns, or topics pertinent to students, faculty, staff, and the local area.
Submission Requirements: Letters should be no longer than 300 words, include the writer’s full name, and indicate their relationship to Cuesta College (e.g., student, faculty, staff, or community member).
Editorial Rights: The Cuestonian reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, clarity, and length while maintaining the writer’s original intent.
Exclusions: Letters containing hate speech, personal attacks, libel, or vulgarity will not be published.

Article Takedown Requests

Policy: The Cuestonian does not accommodate requests for article takedowns or deletions. As a public record, the publication upholds the principles of accountability and historical accuracy.
Corrections: If an article contains factual errors, we encourage readers to notify us. Verified errors will be addressed through corrections appended to the original piece.

Ethical Standards

Accuracy: All articles must be thoroughly fact-checked, with sources verified for credibility and accuracy.
Objectivity: Staff writers and editors will strive for impartiality, avoiding conflicts of interest or bias in reporting.
Diversity and Inclusivity: The editorial team is committed to representing the diverse voices and perspectives of the Cuesta College community.

Editorial Independence

Freedom of the Press: The Cuestonian operates as an independent student-run publication, free from external influence or censorship by college administration or other entities.
Editorial Authority: The editor-in-chief holds ultimate responsibility for all published content, ensuring adherence to the publication’s mission and ethical guidelines.

Submissions and Content Contributions

Eligibility: Submissions are open to Cuesta College students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Ownership: Content submitted to The Cuestonian becomes the property of the newspaper. Contributors grant The Cuestonian the right to publish their work in print and digital formats.
Rejection of Submissions: The Cuestonian reserves the right to reject submissions that do not meet journalistic standards or align with the publication’s mission.

Social Media and Digital Platforms

Engagement: The Cuestonian will use social media to promote published content, engage with readers, and encourage community dialogue.
Conduct: Comments or feedback on digital platforms must adhere to standards of respect, civility, and relevance. Inappropriate or harmful comments may be removed at the discretion of the editorial team.

Correction Policy

Commitment to Accuracy: Errors in published content will be corrected promptly upon verification.
Process: Corrections will be clearly labeled and appended to the original article with an explanation of the changes made.

Editorial Review Process

Standards: All articles, opinion pieces, and other content undergo a thorough editorial review to ensure adherence to journalistic standards, including accuracy, fairness, and clarity.
Transparency: Opinion pieces and editorials are clearly labeled and reflect the views of the author(s) or editorial board, not necessarily those of Cuesta College or its governing bodies.

By adhering to this policy, The Cuestonian reaffirms its dedication to serving the Cuesta College community with responsible and high-quality journalism.