About Us
The Chimes has been Biola University’s student-run news publication for over 80 years. It began in 1938, when Biola was still in Los Angeles. Through the years, the Chimes has won multiple awards, mostly from Baptist Press. In 2010, the Chimes was awarded first place for the overall newspaper division there, and second for online. In 2011, the Chimes was awarded a Pacemaker for print and was nominated for an Online Pacemaker by the Associated Collegiate Press, the largest and oldest college media organization in the nation. In 2013, the Chimes was awarded an Online Pacemaker. Since then, the Chimes has also earned several additional awards, including first place for its print design in the 2017 California College Media Awards.
Our Mission
The Chimes strives to seek truth first and foremost, to provide accurate information and to bring clarity and context to issues happening on campus and beyond. In doing so, we hope to encourage healthy discussion for all topics — all while recognizing God’s prevalent power and his presence in our lives.
Theme verse: Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Our 7 Core Values:
Credibility: We strive to establish strong relationships with the student body through informed, honest, and transparent reporting. We reject bias and refuse to introduce rumors or false information.
Service: Our primary motivation is to serve Biola’s student body by providing relevant, truthful, and beneficial content to our community.
Grace and Truth: We communicate with grace and truth, maintaining respect and consideration for others in all we publish. This includes taste, applying trigger warnings for sensitive contents and the careful use of sensitive words.
Unity: We strive for unity among students, faculty, administration, and those outside Biola, contributing to our calling to be united in Philippians 2:2.
Biblical Values: We uphold biblical values as the guiding lens through which we write and interact.
Excellence: We pursue excellence in everything we do, from interviews and interactions to accountability in all aspects of our work.
Stewardship: We manage our resources efficiently, respecting the finance and trust given to us by maintaining integrity and responsibility.
The Chimes Code of Ethics:
Accuracy
A journalist seeks to discover the full truth and provide the public with accurate news. Any article or photograph published should not misrepresent the news. Deliberate distortion of information or images is never permitted. Image enhancement for technical clarity is permitted, but the content of an image should never be distorted. Journalists should examine their own personal biases and strive to not impose those on others. Avoid stereotyping by race, sexual orientation, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, physical appearance or disability.
Gathering News
Every journalist must show respect to sources and view them as human beings. Recognize that private individuals have more of a right to control the distribution of personal information than those placed in public positions of leadership. Ultimately journalists should show good taste and not be driven by the need to appease all curiosity.
Integrity
Journalists should not be led by anything other than the public’s right to know. Refuse gifts, favors, or special treatment if journalistic integrity is compromised. If a journalist feels that other involvements compromise the ability to report on a certain subject objectively, do not accept any stories involving this subject.
Anonymous Sources
Anonymous sources are not permitted unless the editor-in-chief is convinced that every possible effort was made to get the source on the record and that the publication of the story and the inclusion of the particular source are necessary. Question a source’s motive before promising anonymity. If an anonymous source is used, readers should be informed of the source’s link to the story as well as any motivations that the source may potentially possess. Re-publication of an anonymously sourced story from another organization is not permitted. If using an anonymous source, the article must have a minimum of two other sources.
History & Legacy
On December 1st, 1937, the first edition of The Chimes was published, marking the beginning of a tradition rooted in faith, creativity, and service to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Biola community. Inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:9 R.V. — “Wherefore also we are ambitious… to be well pleasing unto Him” — the founders of The Chimes set out with a clear mission. As our first editor-in-chief expressed, “We are called to be pleasing unto the Lord, and if this is to be true, we must, like Paul, have this ambition.” This zeal includes the use of our skills and resources to offer them unto the Lord, becoming a people marked with excellence and faithfulness.
Over the past nine decades, The Chimes has remained steadfast in its commitment to inform, inspire, and build up our community in love, as Jesus commanded. Our legacy is one of love and truth, addressing the challenges and celebrating diversity. We are committed to loving God and our neighbors, serving as a vessel of His truth through our publication, and diligently seeking out the truth in all we do.
The first Chimes edition:
13800 Biola Ave.
La Mirada, CA 90639
562-944-0351 x4879
On-campus mailbox: 15