Be A Human Before Anything Else - The Southwestern College Sun Episode With Katy Stegall

Step Off! Radio

In our latest installment of Step Off Radio, we interview local student journalist Katy Stegall of the Southwestern College Sun. Stegall’s coverage of last year’s hate rally staged by white nationalists in Chicano Park, dubbed ‘Patriot Picnic 2.0’ has by far been the most nuanced & critical analysis of the Chicano Park protests out of any news media outlet in the San Diego region, with not one local news media outlet taking the same time & dedication to accurately report the details of what transpired that day. Katy Stegall is not only an award winning student journalist, she has likewise amassed various praise & accolades stemming from her tireless coverage of the Chicano Park protests & the subsequent trial of Fredrick Jefferson as well. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Katy as she recounted her experiences at The Sun first covering this story nearly a year ago & its progression from the newspaper covering what was initially supposed to be a one time event; to the months long process of reporting one of the most closely followed trials in the city at the time. It is a story of dedication & perseverance from a disciplined team of student journalists, police brutality & intimidation from an embittered & troubled police department as well as indifference & apathy from a jaded & cynical local news media culture which all culminates into one amazing story chronicling one student newspaper’s quest to uncover the truth. With that said, we at Step Off! Radio hope that you all enjoy our discussion with the marvelous Katy Stegall of the Southwestern College Sun.