Dear Pepperdine Community,

Pepperdine Graphic Media is deeply sorrowed by the coronavirus pandemic that has affected communities worldwide. We understand and respect the University’s decision to switch to remote online classes for the rest of the semester. That being said, we see it more important now than ever to continue reporting, editing and publishing stories both online and in print. Some of our student journalists will return to their respective hometowns, while others plan to stay in their off-campus housing. Regardless, we will all continue to report remotely. This isn’t the first time PGM has had to do this — in November 2018, our staff reported remotely following the Borderline Shooting and Woolsey Fire and was able to produce digital content, alongside the physical special edition that hit stands when students returned to campus. This is to say, we feel we are adequately prepared to cover any news that unfolds, whether from off-campus apartments or hometown desks. 

Along with daily news published by the Graphic, we are moving forward with our Special Edition publication on LGBTQ+ issues and rights. All the content will be shared via social media and online, along with a print edition. PGM will also go forward with production of Currents — our semesterly magazine. This semester’s topic focuses on gender equality and everyday feminism. The stories will be published on social media, the Graphic’s website, and we are planning to print copies that will be available in May. If you would like a physical copy of our weekly newspaper, the LGBTQ+ edition or Currents, please email us at PeppGraphicMedia@gmail.com with your current address. Our weekly email newsletter, the Pixel, will continue to provide email updates on the Pepperdine community and beyond. At this time, we are planning to increase the frequency of Pixel updates per week, depending on the amount of new information we receive and the availability of our reporters. 

As always, we at PGM want to make sure our community feels informed, especially in the midst of these unprecedented circumstances. If you have news tips, stories you want to see reported on or questions you would like answered, again please reach out to us at PeppGraphicMedia@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

To our staff: We are so incredibly proud of the work you have done so far this year, and we could not be prouder editors. As difficult as this week has been, please know that the work you are doing and continue to do is an invaluable service to the community. While we may all be spread out, we want you to know that we are always available to help work through problems or be a resource, even from miles away. Thank you for being diligent and hardworking journalists.

Best,

Channa Steinmetz, Executive Editor, channa.steinmetz@pepperdine.edu 

Madeleine Carr, Managing Editor, madeleine.carr@pepperdine.edu