For the first time ever in its 43 year history, the Sookmyung Times (SMT) will publish completely on online in May. It has a completely different format from traditional magazines. Before discussing the change, I’d like to address and provide some insight that I’ve learned throughout my semesters with SMT. I started work with the magazine from my first semester at Sookmyung, and now incredibly I have reached my fifth semester at school and with SMT. As a cub reporter, I wrote articles based on a given topic and participated in the proof reading process; however, as I spent more and more time with SMT, I bitterly realized the demands of a publication as a student reporter. I felt the burden on my shoulders at each sentence I wrote. I realized I could make others laugh or cry from my comments on others. In addition, I still find the use of proper statistics or the writing of an unbiased interview as complicated and difficult. Also, at the start of my academic journalist career, I felt writing English articles blocks Sookmyungians from reading the magazine, yet now I strongly believe writing in English enables Sookmyungians to reach more people including exchange students in addition to the Sookmyung student body. In this way, I spent uncountable nights tossing and turning because I was constantly pondering ways to make a better magazine and to capture students’ interested in our stories.
Recently, in parts of the world, not only student press teams but also the general press teams are struggling as well. They are trying to make innovations, such as using drones—small robots with advanced functions—to cover dangerous situations such as war or disaster in order to expand their readership. As you can see, people all over are struggling to improve their circumstances. Although it is difficult for me to relate to you all the devotion and passion of a journalist, the effort (s)he exhibits brightens the future of all press. Yet, to be realistic, making a dramatic innovation like using drones and getting help from them are not possible for SMT. Nevertheless, to keep face with environmental change and to promptly meet the needs and changes of our time, members of SMT has decided to publish an online magazine in May. It was a very tough and hard decision to make since the decision was not merely made as a solution to increase readership but due to internal affairs and our financial crisis. I faithfully believe a “smooth sea never made a skillful sailor,” so by taking this step, SMT will actively interact with a greater variety of readers. Surely, there will be some awkward aspects as it’s our first time to publish solely online; thus, we await your comments and opinions to improve both our hardcopy magazine and online publication. Lastly, please remember that SMT is always opened to everyone and does its best to listen to all voices, regardless of whether those voices are those of the majority or minority. Let me just wrap up with these words: enjoy your wonderful spring time with the articles we’ve prepared for you on a contemporary news format and make your May vigorous and refreshing.
Koo Kim Gyohyun / Editor-in-Chief
smt_kgh@sm.ac.kr
