The TISB Newspaper is Handed Over

The TISB newspaper club and its publication, ‘The Inquisitor’, has got new leadership. The previous Chief Editor, Soorya from Grade 12, handed over the responsibility of the club and the publication to Grade 11 student Nishka and Grade 9 student Siya, who are now teaming up as new Chief Editors, and Grade 11 student, Raghav, is Head of Tech. We reached out to the new leadership team to find out about their views of the club, as well as the retiring Soorya, about his time as Chief Editor.

Being in the oblivion is an absolute danger but don't worry, The Inquisitor's got you covered! – Siya, Grade 9

TISB’s Newspaper Club and the associated publication, 'The Inquisitor’, has got an important tradition. But the club and its publication is also looking at changes this year – the paper is going online, which has got great potential. The paper is an important part of the school and the students that contribute to it. “The Inquisitor is a reflection of our surroundings, the society. I believe hearing opinions from people can make one form an opinion of their own about these pertinent issues, which is vital in the 21st Century”, says Siya who hopes that the paper is a way for students to express their creativity and personality.

The purpose of the newspaper is giving young people a voice and a platform, and to invite others to listen to these voices. “We want to see people write on topics they would like to go to depth in. Which will always be something they're interested in”, says Siya who also wants students to explore and include a spirit of unity and teamwork and developing collaboration skills.

The paper is not only open for students and contributors with sharp writing skills. “The paper will feature a lot of op-ed, opinion columns and articles which give a wholesome perspective of any prevailing situation”, says Nishka, who also hopes to start a TISB podcast which will feature the on-goings at TISB and other interesting facts. The team thinks that there will always be something to learn from the articles, as well as food for thought. “We hope to encourage conversations and an effort to bring change via our platform”, says Nishka explaining that the whole student body and the staff is the newspaper’s audience, and that there will be something interesting for everyone.

As the paper is being transferred online and to a new website, the move brings with it both possibilities and challenges. “We are extremely excited to do this, as it will enable the writers to publish their work more frequently”, says Raghav and explains that the move of The Inquisitor online gives it the potential to reach larger part of the TISB community. The move online will also enable the team to launch a newsletter, which will allow them to stay more connected with the readers.

Soorya, the former Chief Editor, is happy with the transfer and explains that during the pandemic, the people behind the paper were imagining ways for students to be connected with school events, and realised that the newspaper would be a splendid option to do this. However, having the paper only in PDF format made it difficult to reach the desired audience. Having a larger reach will enable students to be more open and reflect on life at and around TISB. “The club was always my safe space to talk to juniors and help them realise and reflect on "life at TISB", despite being mostly virtual for this year", explains Soorya who would really like to do it again - but this time in person. As a person he has learnt how to communicate with juniors, impose deadlines, organise articles together as a team, how to liaise with management and understand the demands of a school. Moreover, it has been an escape from IB work, but at the same time a great form of CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service). 

For the new leadership, Soorya gives a few encouraging words of advice: “Our newspaper needs to be dynamic and lively, and articles need to uphold individual style as well as quality”, encouraging the new leaders to include teachers, staff and principals articles, while at the same time exploring new forms of media, such as podcast. All in all, the newspaper is a permanent memory of what happens in everyday life and at the school.

Follow what happens through the Newspaper Club by reading The Inquisitor online.