DMC’s student newsroom expands, embraces cross-platform publishing

An appreciation gathering celebrates faculty and student contributions to scholastic journalism and welcomes new members.

The scholastic journalism team members, faculty advisors, and representatives pose for a group photo during the celebratory event. Pictured (from left): Yiyi Gu, Tianxiang Zhang, Peiyi Chen, Hao Feng, Yijia Sun, Yuxin Li, Jiahui Li, Dr Jiyu Zhang, Qianyuan Che, Yuhan Jia, Dr Dharma Adhikari, Yunqi Lu, Danning Zhao, Weizhong Huang, Sirui Zhong, and Yutong Wu. All photos in this story by Tianxiang Zhang.

At a small appreciation lunch on May 13, faculty and student journalists from the Department of Media and Communication at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University gathered to celebrate contributions to scholastic journalism over the academic year and to welcome new members for upcoming issues.

A record 29 students contributed to recent issues of the department’s DMC Newsletter and X Mirror, as the student newsroom expanded earlier this year into a continuous multiplatform journalism operation spanning print, digital, and social media. Students served as reporters, editors, coordinators, visualisers, and designers across successive production cycles.

The team’s multimedia coverage, print publications, and digital news updates have increasingly attracted attention within and beyond campus, reflecting the growing visibility of student-led journalism outputs under this evolving production model.

“Some of your works have been pitched to local media,” said Yiyi Gu, external liaison officer of the University Marketing and Communications Office. “Your impact has gone beyond the university.”

The growing visibility reflects the expansion from periodic print production into a continuous cross-platform news operation. In addition to the annual X Mirror magazine and biannual DMC Newsletter, student journalists now produce rolling stories for the School social media and the university’s news website.

“Our XJTLU online story has been widely spread,” said Dr Jiyu Zhang, an assistant professor and editorial adviser to the student newsroom. He noted that the team has built a strong digital and social media presence in a short period of time.

Dr Jiyu Zhang, academic adviser for the publications, reflects on the editorial work process.

The shift reflects the journalism programme’s “learning by doing” pedagogy. Comparing the workflow to professional media practice, Dr Dharma Adhikari, associate professor of journalism and lead adviser of the publications, said, “What we do is what happens in the industry when you go out,” adding that the newsroom is increasingly becoming multimedia in scope.

Dr Dharma Adhikari highlights the team’s evolution into a multimedia operation.

The publications extend DMC journalism modules, drawing mainly from journalism students, but also welcoming those from design and illustration, and offering regular internship opportunities to interested students.

Student members join the discussion during the celebratory gathering.

X Mirror, launched in 2018, publishes feature stories and cultural commentary, while the DMC Newsletter, founded in 2022, serves as a clearinghouse for faculty research, departmental news, and alumni updates.

The growing student newsroom faces steep learning curves and the pressures of cross-platform production. The process is “continuous and unending,” observed Dr Adhikari.

“We faced obstacles like messy workflow and slow progress,” said Yunqi Lu, coordinator of the ninth issue of X Mirror. She said the process, though challenging, highlighted the need for clearer role division and earlier planning. She also noted that collaborative tools such as Canva improved efficiency by enabling simultaneous editing and faster updates.

Yunqi Lu shares her experience as coordinator of the latest issue of X Mirror.

Weizhong Huang, coordinator of the latest two issues of the DMC Newsletter, said students gained hands-on experience in interviewing and building articles from scratch. She described the process as demanding but “fresh and new and interesting,” adding that it strengthened teamwork, communication, and confidence in newsroom practice.

Yunqi Lu, Yunxi Li and Weizhong Huang (coordinator for the recent two issues of DMC Newsletter) listen intently during the lunch gathering.

Dr Zhang said the team’s commitment and continuous improvement made the experience rewarding despite the challenges of adapting to English journalism and different editorial standards across platforms.

Tianxiang Zhang, who served as a photographer for the newsroom, said that working for both publications helped balance personal expression with professional journalistic responsibility. He added that although extensive editorial corrections initially felt harsh, they eventually revealed the importance of rigorous professional standards.

During the lunch, Dr Adhikari described copy editors as the industry’s “unsung heroes” who refine stories to journalistic standards without themselves receiving public bylines.

Participants suggested strengthening cross-platform and bilingual journalism through workshops, expanded visual reporting, earlier editorial planning, and a continued emphasis on journalistic ethics in future practice.

Nan Hu, DMC’s representative for  University Marketing and Communications, shares her thoughts, urging students to pursue truth regardless of their future career path.

“No matter what job you choose, I hope you will continue the pursuit of truth,” said Nan Hu, assistant professor and DMC’s representative for  University Marketing and Communications. “There are still many people waiting to be heard, to be seen. There are many stories waiting to be discovered.”

Story by YUTONG WU / DMC Newsletter.

Courtesy of the Scholastic Journalism Team, Department of Media and Communication, XJTLU.