Declaration of Principles

You remember that scene in Citizen Kane where Kane, Leland and Bernstein are drawing up their “Declaration of Principles” for their newly minted New York Inquirer? Well, it’s a terribly sad and ironic scene in retrospect, for over the course of the next two hours; Kane will systematically go about destroying these principles and living by his own code of insatiable greed and power.

This may be “just a movie” but it’s lessons in human nature and the powers of corruption are not to be ignored. We here at The Bugle are lucky. We are starting small and that’s where our heads are at as well. We seek to inform and enlighten not for career advancement, though that can be quite a positive motivator, but to advance just the principles that Welles set out in that film 68 years ago: We at the Michigan Bugle will provide the people of this city with a news source that will tell all the news honestly. We will also provide them with a fighting and tireless champion of their rights as citizens and as human beings.

I say, if it’s good enough for Kane, it’s good enough for us.

Christening and Rememberance

Tonight, the only thing missing is the Queen and a great big bottle of bubbly. But just a few words before we travail the rocky terrain that lay before us: firstly, welcome. Here you will be treated as kings dream they were treated and where Gods envy mere mortals. (Too much?) We at the Michigan Bugle will work our heinees off to get you the most honest, unbiased reporting related to students here at the University of Michigan and our neighboring cities.

Far more important, sad news today about the permanent closure of the Ann Arbor News, a landmark of our city for 174 years. We hear a number like 174 and we say to ourselves, gee golly that's a long time, but do we really understand what this institution represented for so many generations for so many years? In 1835, the founding year of the Ann Arbor News, Andrew Jackson was nearly assassinated. The first attempt in our nation's history. That guy was like amongst the first ten presidents! In September 1835, Charles Darwin's HMS Beagle landed off the coast of the Galapagos Islands and what would follow would change science and our perceptions of our world forever. In the proceeding 174 years, imagine all that has happened and has been covered by the Ann Arbor News. They've uncovered corruption, kept the first three branches of this state's government in check and protected our liberty as Americans for almost as long as there've been Americans to protect. Thank you Ann Arbor News and the thousands of people who have come and gone throughout the years who served it. You stood on the front lines of democracy and never flinched. A grateful nation and our student body owes you and newspapers of your ilk a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you.