Using writing carved on stone tablets, humans began spreading news through the written word in 59 BCE. The first printed newspaper was published in 1605 in Germany, while the first online newspaper debuted in 1980. Nowadays, news is obtained almost entirely online, as internet sources are essentially endless. When a school as big as Benet has so much happening on a daily basis, the best source of news is typically the school newspaper. Sharing events, history, and voices from across the school, the Benet Herald is Benet’s primary source of information for Redwings, teachers, parents, and alumni. Former advisor of the Benet Herald Mrs. Linda Schuster Brown, who started with the Herald in the 1990s, stated, “When I became moderator of the Benet Herald it was still a ‘brick & mortar’ newspaper: we had an office space, we typed articles on real typewriters, we took many of our own pictures with cameras, [and we] developed those pictures in a darkroom.” She continued, “[The students] cropped them for publication using a light table [and] received galley sheets from our printer that needed to be cut and rearranged to be glued onto a layout sheet for publication.” Brown believes that the students’ hands-on work was literally the glue that kept the paper together.
The Benet Herald has remained fully student run and dedicated to continuing the legacy of decades of previous writers. Students work hard to publish articles on the club’s website. This site has eight sections: School News, Sports, Fine Arts, Catholic Corner, A Redwing You Should Know, Ask A Redwing, Alumni Spotlight, and Benet Investigates, the latter two being brand-new additions this school year. At graduation, the Herald distributes the special printed graduation edition, which is a culmination of the work its members put in throughout the year. Faculty Advisor Ms. White shared, “I love that the Benet Herald is fully studentrun and that it gives an opportunity for students to use their voice to tell stories about Benet Academy whether it’s about the accolades of athletics, academics, and the arts or an opinion piece where students’ perspectives are valued.” Ms. White took over in 2025-2026 after previously advising the MUSE fine arts magazine. She believes that the Herald teaches students time management, media literacy, and empathy. “Writing for the newspaper helps build empathy due to interviewing and writing about diverse subjects, which helps students understand differing viewpoints and amplifies the voice of others,” White added. With current Editor-in-Chief Packey Malloy, the Herald continues a legacy of true journalism. “I joined the Benet Herald my sophomore year and had a fantastic time writing articles,” Malloy stated; “John, the Editor-in-Chief that year, was a great help and one of the reasons I wanted to be Editor-in-Chief.” Malloy served as Section Editor last year and appreciated being able to help writers improve. Malloy asserted, “Now, I am very grateful to serve as Editor-in-Chief. Being in charge of our dedicated writers and Section Editors is a blessing. I am very proud of the work we have put in so far, and I cannot wait to see what we will accomplish next!”
Sources: https://odp.library.tamu.edu/mediacommunication2e/chapter/history-of-newspapers/
