The Blueprint: The Bison ONE Newsroom In Conversation With Cathy Hughes

Over 50 years ago, Cathy Hughes, the founder and chairperson of Urban One, was one of the very first faculty members of the School of Communications at Howard University.

Now, she is giving back to Howard, a place she credits with giving her many of her “firsts” in the communications industry. I sat down with her for an interview to hear firsthand how she wants to do the same for current students.

“You all are part of the continuation of my story,” she said. “…Because Howard is who produced me, I’m trying to be in a reciprocal relationship with the university and the students.”

This fall, in partnership with the Cathy Hughes School of Communications (CHSOC) at Howard, NewsOne launched the Bison ONE Newsroom — a platform that allows student journalists to publish their work for a national audience.

As a current journalism student in the CHSOC, I get to see firsthand how partnerships like this support the growth of my peers and myself.

No matter if you’re on the print or broadcast track with Bison ONE, you have the opportunity to publish multimedia works to build up your portfolio. Not only does this give us a platform to practice our craft outside the classroom, but it is one of the first steps we take to secure internships and eventually jobs. 

In our conversation, Hughes talked about the importance of diversifying your skills within the industry. One of my key takeaways was when she emphasized that you cannot coach someone to be curious or comfortable going beyond their comfort zone. 

Hughes said instead, you have to help others expand their comfort zone, and then curiosity will follow. 

I have now started to change how I speak about my own journalism coverage because of this. 

When talking about writing under a new beat, I don’t just say I want to get out of my comfort zone anymore. Instead, I say that I want to expand it. I want to keep honing the skills I already have while learning new ones to help me become a well-rounded reporter. 

Hughes said that as student journalists, we shouldn’t just pick one thing to be good at. She said to succeed and grow, we should be proficient in multiple areas. 

“It’s important for you to have more than one skillset if you’re going to be successful. You don’t know when your big break may come,” Hughes said. 

Throughout the interview, Hughes shared her thoughts on what it means to be a communications professional in this current political climate. For many journalists, the work is not only challenging but also dangerous. 

Talking to my peers and even seeing some of the coverage on Bison ONE, it’s clear that this is a reality student journalists are already experiencing before we even obtain our degrees. 

Going into a field that is being threatened daily is scary, but it is comforting to know that, with CHSOC and Bison ONE, we are being prepared to face those difficulties.

Student journalism is just as important as professional journalism. Especially as students at a historically Black university in the nation’s capital, we have unique perspectives that deserve to be shared.

I was once told that we are journalists who just so happen to be students, and that has stuck with me ever since. This partnership is giving us the resources to go out into the community and report on topics that we care about, just like any other professional newsroom. 

Bison ONE is the blueprint for more partnerships to come, and it not only supports student journalists but also supports the world’s future communications professionals and leaders. 

“Whether or not I have been successful is whether or not you have been able to …reach the heights that you wanted to reach because of something I did [for you],” said Hughes.