Dear Reader,
Welcome to the new semester! What a privilege and an honor it is to have you reading the pages of The Foghorn this year. My name is Megan Robertson, and I am overjoyed to be stepping into the role of Editor in Chief of The Foghorn. I started writing for the paper in the spring of 2021, my second semester at USF. Since working here, I’ve acted as General Assignment Reporter and then News Editor. I have been connected to the Foghorn for nearly the entirety of my collegiate experience.
I cannot seem to get away from the paper; there is something so spectacular, so gripping about The Foghorn. I believe that in today’s media landscape, we as college students are oversaturated and overstimulated with content. For many of us, it seems as if we are constantly consuming TikToks of the latest fashion trends, Apple News’ notifications of war and environmental devastation, Discover Daily playlists on Spotify, persistent Duolingo reminders, that new movie you must see, and what is likely misinformation on your X, formerly Twitter, feed. With all of this media penetrating our cultural ecosystem, in addition to coursework and job responsibilities, it can be difficult to identify truthful, interesting, and engaging issues that are impacting your community, here on the Hilltop.
That’s where the Foghorn comes in. For 120 years, the Foghorn has been diligently reporting and telling community stories that matter, all following our creed of “Freedom and Fairness.” Our staff of writers, editors, photographers, and designers are extremely skilled and held to the highest standard of journalistic integrity and ethics. The articles you will find in our archives and in your copy of the paper display this.
Since joining the Foghorn, I have had the opportunity to pursue stories such as: Afghan activism on campus during the 2021 Taliban takeover, unhoused residents suing the City of San Francisco, an in-depth interview with former Provost Oparah, and the Noise Pop Music Festival in the Mission, to name a few.
The Foghorn’s mission to reliably provide the USF community with stories documenting our cultural and political moment is why I’ve been so enamored with the production. I believe that it’s a rarity to get this kind of information in our daily lives.
It’s a hard time out there for folks. We are in the midst of confounding environmental, technological, economic, and political crises. The Foghorn is a resource for the University community as we have been since 1903, to help make sense of these turbulent times. We are and will be here, sharing breaking campus and local news, thought provoking reports on arts and culture, diverse student perspectives through our op-eds, and glimpses into the Hilltop’s highly awarded sports teams.
There are many things in our lives to be worried about; at the Foghorn, we believe that the quality and reliability of your news shouldn’t be one of them.
It’s my intent to make sure that the Foghorn fulfills these promises to you, the University community. We will be here every week of the semester, on campus and online, with ethical reporting on engaging stories from the Hilltop. Find us every Thursday around campus, online at www.sffoghorn.com, on Instagram @sffoghorn, and for longer form stories and investigations, on our podcast, the FogPod. I look forward to sharing this all with you over the coming year!
Yours truly,
Megan Robertson
Editor in Chief, San Francisco Foghorn
