About Us
The Criterion has served the students of Colorado Mesa University since 1931 and continues to amplify student voices and accomplishments. The organization provides news and editorials that are relevant to life at Colorado Mesa University both online and in print. Our goal is to educate and inspire the campus community, as well as Mesa County. The Criterion values fairness, honesty, inclusivity, ethical journalism, and the reliable dissemination of information. The newspaper is made by the students, for the students.
History of the Criterion
The Criterion was founded back when Colorado Mesa University was still Mesa State College. It has been the voice of the students since 1931. Dating back to only 6 years after the college was founded, The Criterion is one of the oldest and longest running organizations at Colorado Mesa University. Since its founding, The Criterion has been committed to providing reliable, trustworthy, and quality coverage of events surrounding the university, as well as other local news. Since the formation of The Criterion’s website in recent years, it has become one of the major news outlets in the Grand Junction area.
How You Can Contribute
Any and all current Colorado Mesa University students are welcome to join The Criterion’s staff. To join, just attend one of our Monday meetings at 5pm in University Center Room 211. We are always looking for new writers and photographers.
Not only can any published work be the highlight of a resume, but it also pays! Stories under 450 words pay $10, over 450 words is $15, photos are $5 per used picture, and graphic design is $20.
Letters to the editor can be submitted to criterion@coloradomesa.edu and must be 500 words or less to be published. We prefer for those submitting a letter to provide the headline they would like to accompany it (the headline does not count toward the 500 words) so there isn’t the chance we will accidentally misrepresent the message of the letter. Letters that contain profanity, hate speech, or calls to violent action will not be published. Letters cannot be anonymous. We do not edit letters to the editor because it is unethical to edit a quote or any content that originates from outside The Criterion, and letters to the editor are essentially really long quotes from readers. Therefore we strongly recommend that readers thoroughly proofread their letters prior to submission.