This is not a column about me. This is a column about you.

Yes, you. You have a lot more power than you think. You’ve revolutionized the nature of information exchange and continue to do so with each Google search and Facebook friend request. You have rocked the industry of journalism to its core by rejecting the idea that news can be hoarded by a privileged elite. You have championed the democratization of information, and media executives worldwide are listening.

You are the lifeblood of this campus and this publication. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In great numbers you wield incredible power. On an individual level you lead fascinating lives. Going forward, we at The Crimson White hope to document your triumphs and provide a medium for you to broadcast your grievances with the administration, the government or each other.

You have a lot to say, and we want to hear it. It doesn’t have to be in a perfectly crafted guest column or a fiery letter to the editor. @reply us on Twitter. Write on The CW’s Facebook wall. Come visit our weekly table in the Ferguson Center. E-mail me. You will talk and we will listen, no matter the medium.

You are being bombarded with more information on a daily basis than humans of any past era. We want to help you make sense of that information and better understand the intricacies, opportunities, and issues of this campus. We are not peddling a product but rather offering a service. We will try to make your life easier to the best of our abilities. And we will not view our service as free. Although The Crimson White is free to pick up, we know that your time is valuable and we will respect it by offering pertinent, interesting information every single day.

You deserve a campus newspaper you can trust. We will be tirelessly objective and doggedly committed to accuracy. We will make mistakes, inevitably, but we will address them quickly and professionally. In an age of extreme polarization both on campus and in the nation, the need for a balanced and fair evaluation of issues is more critical than ever. We will do our very best to be fair, and we will be open to your criticisms of our coverage.

You are in control of the future of The Crimson White. We are not dictators—we are note-takers. If you read a story and know of something that would be an interesting follow-up, e-mail the reporter. Their addresses are below their bylines now. If you know anyone on the CW staff, tell them about your ideas, and the info will get funneled to the right people. Go to thecrimsonwhite.com to submit your story ideas online and complete our survey about what you want from your campus paper. We’re trying to create as many access points as possible so that it’s easier for you to help shape our content.

You are extremely diverse in your passions and activities. We should be building a staff that better reflects the incredible diversity on our campus. That means more minorities, more greek students and more non-journalism majors in the newsroom. Fresh perspectives can only enhance our coverage.

You should get involved with The Crimson White. Whether you come to the newsroom to sign on as a reporter, write letters to the editor or click that you “Like” an article we post on Facebook, The CW should be an interactive experience that everyone in the University of Alabama community can share. It is a tool every student, professor and staff member can use to learn more about the campus they interact with every day. And the more you use it to tell us what you want, the more powerful it becomes for everyone.

As editor, I offer you my resources, my contacts and my experience. I offer to you my strongest commitment to emphasize your needs, your issues and your accomplishments every single day. Tell me how I can use my skills for your benefit.

And always remember, this is not a newspaper about me. This is a newspaper about you.

Victor Luckerson is the editor-in-chief of The Crimson White and a sophomore majoring in journalism and English. He can be reached at [email protected].