About

The Cadet newspaper is one of the oldest independent college newspapers in Virginia. Started by cadets and alumni as a magazine in 1871, The Cadet transitioned to newspaper format in 1907. The Cadet today is recognized by the Virginia General Assembly and the Governor of Virginia as the original “voice of the Corps”.

Through a collaborative effort between the cadets and alumni with positive help from those who share our mission and goals The Cadet serves to enhance the academic, military, and intellectual experiences of its cadet members interested in careers in journalism or related fields. This opportunity will enhance cadet professional development and offer leadership opportunities to practice academic, military, and personal skills. These include, but are not limited to:

• Open Mindedness. 
• Ethics.
• Persistence.
• Research Skills.
• Technical Skills.

The Cadet will work with alumni who are Journalists and experienced in other fields as well as other private sector volunteers in assisting participants to not only develop these skills but put them to practice. Participants will develop the skills and traits necessary to make them successful to include, but not limited to, experience in reporting, layout, critical thinking, research and analysis, unbiased reporting, online and print media design, advertising, photography and a myriad of other areas.

The Cadet is published by The Cadet Foundation, an IRS approved 501c3 Public Charity completely independent of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) itself and the VMI Alumni Agencies with a goal to support aspects of the Virginia Military Institute’s mission “to produce educated, honorable men and women, prepared for the varied work of civil life, imbued with love of learning, confident in the functions and attitudes of leadership, possessing a high sense of public service, advocates of the American Democracy and free enterprise system, and ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their country in time of national peril.” 

The Operating Principles were developed by benchmarking peer publication at various colleges and universities across the United Sates and using model policies, procedures, handbooks and other documents created by The Society of Professional Journalists and other organizations for use in developing these documents for individual student newspapers. Those documents are published for re-unrestricted use and modification as necessary for the publication. The document has been reviewed by professional journalists serving as advisors to The Cadet Staff and the Student Press Law Center. Their inputs were incorporated and the resulting guidelines found compliant with student 1^st Amendment rights at the Federal and State level and historic court decisions in the areas of student free press.