MUNCIE, Ind. – Vivian Bostick is spreading the word about independent journalism to the community. The broadcast multimedia news major felt that simply going to class was not enough involvement. Starting during her first semester at Ball State University, Bostick wanted to create an outlet for providing news to the city.
The Cardinal Independent is Bostick’s self-made website that focuses on news in Muncie. She investigates stories with her highest values of honesty and accuracy.
Her passion for journalism made her immediately stand out, according to Max van Dongen, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Media.
“...then there are students that love what they do and act on what they do. That’s Vivian. You don’t have to go very far to see her work,” van Dongen said.
Bostick grew up in Indianapolis without streaming services, which led her to watch major news outlets. She became inspired by journalism, wanting to take it into her own hands. Once she graduates in the spring of 2028, she wants to pursue a career as a news producer.
“I created the website to give me an outlet, somewhere I can show my work because I’m not going to walk into a news station and say ‘Hey, I graduated from Ball State.’ They are going to ask me what I have done. If I walk in with nothing, I’m concerned that I won’t have a job. I want to build my own experience because in Indy, experience was coming to me. In Muncie, I believe you got to make it yourself,” said Bostick.
Her website, launched in April, now has over 10,000 “proudly trusted readers”, according to a counter on the site. It is set up with Google advertisements, Indiana News Service, Trust Project, and At Large to help push her content. The inspiration that Bostick feels for news has spread to others.
“It’s really inspiring to me to feel inspired from the student just acting upon what really matters to you. When I see her, I just say simply ‘just do,’” van Dongen said.
Bostick recently rebranded her website, which was originally named VBN for Vivian Bostick News. The change comes from wanting to refocus the platform’s meaning away from her. She wants to create a team of aspiring journalists who share the same mission as her.
“You have a voice, and I want to use my platform. It’s not just my platform. I want to extend it,” Bostick said.
The Cardinal Independent is meant to provide a place for publication for any independent journalists in the community. She started this project for her, but has redirected to leaving a message bigger than herself.
“I don’t know how this is going to be running after I graduate, or if it will run after I graduate. But first, nothing hurts to try,” Bostick said.
This mission has led her to make a program that will teach any aspiring journalist how to be independent. The Muncie Independent News Initiative, MINI, will be a five-week lesson, leaving members with their own website and at least one article.
“When you have a trailblazer like that it is very selfless to give your skillset, your passion, what you have learned… to others who are just as easily capable,” van Dongen said.
The program is expected to be announced by the end of the semester. An interest form is live on the website, https://mini.vivianbostick.com/. Bostick hopes that the work she does for the Muncie community will continue on and inspire more.
“There’s going to be a day in the future, I just know it. It’s one of those things that you can just kind of tell. I cannot wait for the moment where I go ‘Wow, Vivian has truly made it.’ She’s doing it now, but she’s changing the world just like I knew she would,” van Dongen said.
With all of these projects, Bostick’s end goal is to have her own media company. If you want to follow along with her content, you can find her website at https://news.vivianbostick.com/.
Contact Brooke Follrad with comments at brooke.follrad@bsu.edu.
