In a blistering editorial published Sept. 21 as part of The Cornell Daily Sun’s coverage of an alleged 2024 gang rape on campus, the paper’s editorial board wrote, “We ask the questions the University has left unanswered.”

This was a striking understatement. 

When a lawsuit was filed Sept. 16 by an anonymous former student alleging a night of horrific violence at a fraternity house, the Sun was on the front lines of the story, having followed the case for 23 months and obtained an exclusive interview with the plaintiff. 

Let’s be clear: Several of the seven accused men have denied culpability, and there are legitimate concerns about whether the names of the students should have been printed before they were proven guilty. Still, the Sun’s student reporters have led the search for answers to open questions about how the university handled the incident, chasing down statements from reticent administrators and defendants identified in the suit.

“Cornell Won’t, We Will,” read the furious editorial board’s headline. 

Significant ambiguities in the case remain, but one thing seems clear: An institution kept its handling of a crisis under wraps, and student reporters helped expose it. Since then, we’ve seen the reopening of the criminal investigation, the release of some details about how administrators managed accountability and transparency, and the initiation of an independent review of Cornell’s response. 

While the courage of these students has been widely recognized, many other examples of intrepid student reporting have flown under the radar. Collegiate and high school newsrooms nationwide have produced stunning examples of game-changing reporting in recent years, exposing misconduct while also reaching beyond campus to break community........

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