Over the homecoming weekend, The Duke celebrated its 100th year of service to Duquesne University.

Throughout its history, The Duke has had many ups and downs — like getting shut down for an April Fool’s joke in 1984 — but never has the paper abandoned its responsibility to factually cover both local and national events for our community.

Our current political landscape is nothing like we’ve seen before. Our two main political parties are as split as ever. Misinformation is rampant across the internet, making it hard to navigate such an emotionally charged political sphere.

Over The Duke’s 100 years of service, there have been countless political divides that made accurate reporting essential for the knowledge of Duquesne’s student body.

The Duke reported through a world war, terrorist attacks, assassination attempts and some of the deepest political divides in American history. This very publication was even plagiarized by Fox News and commented on by Donald Trump Jr. in 2017 when he called out campus concerns, calling students “#triggered” in a tweet that launched The Duke into national discourse.

Regardless of political affiliation, The Duke will always strive for accurate, unbiased reporting, especially in the political sphere. Located on a college campus in one of the largest swing states, The Duke has a special opportunity to use our voice for positive influence in a deeply polarizing time.

According to Statista and Unesco, over two-thirds of American adults have little or no trust in mass media, while 38.2% of Americans are confident they have spread false news. These metrics open the door for more in-person coverage, as well as putting more trust in localized papers like The Duke.

The Duke has covered many elections, ranging from the country’s presidential primary to local officials and mayoral candidates. Each article is meticulously planned and reported to give each candidate fair, unbiased reporting, like the 2024 primary election coverage by The Duke staff.

Factual reporting has and always will be at the forefront for The Duke. In its first 100 years, hundreds of editors and reporters have made sure to ethically gather information, correctly source their quotes and facts and be as clear and concise as possible. After all, that is the job description of a journalist.

From accurately recording box scores in the sports section to covering local arts and entertainment, The Duke prides itself in getting the facts right first, so our readers stay informed, and most notably, can trust the publication with any news. Trust is what built The Duke and kept it thriving for 100 years, and we hope to continue that rapport for another century.