Editor tires of campus negativity
Parker Willis
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Voices
All right, all right. Enough already.
I understand The Chart has printed some controversial things recently and it has put the campus in an uproar.
In fact, I myself take all responsibility for those misunderstandings. As the editor-in-chief, I should take more time to make sure everything that makes it to print is written professionally and is not offensive for the wrong reasons.
But what people don't seem to be taking into consideration is that this is a student-run newspaper.
There is no other student organization on campus that is more in the spotlight or easier to criticize than the newspaper.
Every issue printed sits on the rack for at least a week. Our online edition is available for view at any time after it is published, and we have stacks of unread papers sitting in the office that anyone can come in and pick up whenever they want.
Now tell me, what organization on campus has that kind of transparency?
Not one.
And now we are running into students who refuse to talk to The Chart because they are afraid of how we are going to use their quotes.
Come on people.
If a band member hits the wrong note during an ensemble, does the entire campus criticize the band for a month afterwards, and refuse to go to their concerts?
If an athlete makes a mistake during a game, does that give anyone who is upset about it the right to call the coach and give him a piece of their mind?
If a member of a registered student organization says something that could be taken the wrong way, does that cause them to get countless Facebook messages and angry e-mails on a daily basis for the rest of the semester?
Then why, for heaven's sake, does everyone on campus think The Chart should be held to higher standards than any other student activity?
We are journalists and we should be held to a high standard. But we are students. This is a learning process. The nature of the business is to make controversial decisions. We made our decision, the students spoke out about it and we gave up the majority of our opinion page to your comments.
Please, let us move past this and go back to focusing on important things like the news and student activities.
Hasn't the University seen and heard enough negativity for a while?
I understand The Chart has printed some controversial things recently and it has put the campus in an uproar.
In fact, I myself take all responsibility for those misunderstandings. As the editor-in-chief, I should take more time to make sure everything that makes it to print is written professionally and is not offensive for the wrong reasons.
But what people don't seem to be taking into consideration is that this is a student-run newspaper.
There is no other student organization on campus that is more in the spotlight or easier to criticize than the newspaper.
Every issue printed sits on the rack for at least a week. Our online edition is available for view at any time after it is published, and we have stacks of unread papers sitting in the office that anyone can come in and pick up whenever they want.
Now tell me, what organization on campus has that kind of transparency?
Not one.
And now we are running into students who refuse to talk to The Chart because they are afraid of how we are going to use their quotes.
Come on people.
If a band member hits the wrong note during an ensemble, does the entire campus criticize the band for a month afterwards, and refuse to go to their concerts?
If an athlete makes a mistake during a game, does that give anyone who is upset about it the right to call the coach and give him a piece of their mind?
If a member of a registered student organization says something that could be taken the wrong way, does that cause them to get countless Facebook messages and angry e-mails on a daily basis for the rest of the semester?
Then why, for heaven's sake, does everyone on campus think The Chart should be held to higher standards than any other student activity?
We are journalists and we should be held to a high standard. But we are students. This is a learning process. The nature of the business is to make controversial decisions. We made our decision, the students spoke out about it and we gave up the majority of our opinion page to your comments.
Please, let us move past this and go back to focusing on important things like the news and student activities.
Hasn't the University seen and heard enough negativity for a while?
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Adam Givens
posted 11/20/09 @ 9:52 AM CST
Well Parker you have to understand the animosity that is shown to you guys. In the past the Chart has written nothing but negative, bias crap that no one wants to end up reading week after week or talk to any reporters to only have their quotes twisted and a future issue. (Continued…)
Adam Givens
posted 11/20/09 @ 12:17 PM CST
To expand on this a bit further, I have to say that The Chart is doing a much better job this year of not being negative on everything they report. Even though there is this change, the rest of campus is still a little hesitant and hostile. (Continued…)
Meagan Haring
posted 11/21/09 @ 9:48 AM CST
In defense of the Chart, Adam, I think you were making some pretty harsh and biased comments yourself. You say that the Chart has written nothing but 'negative, bias crap that no one wants to end up reading', but if I recall correctly, you are constantly making comments (negative or otherwise) on pretty much the majority of the articles the Chart has published. (Continued…)
BenHinkle
Ben Hinkle
posted 11/22/09 @ 7:01 PM CST
To be fair, some students might add some questions of their own to that list.
If a non-traditional student asks a question at the end of a lecture, are they going to be ridiculed in print and online for a month?
If a student senator thinks a disciplinary matter should be handled in-house in accordance with the rules of order so that, God forbid, people might take senate seriously, is he going to spend the rest of his term getting flogged and having people calling the attorney general asking for his arrest?
Unfortunately, the answer to both questions, and even most of the ones you asked, is a resounding yes. (Continued…)
Howie Lindeman
posted 11/22/09 @ 7:32 PM CST
Parker, I respect that you take ownership of your position. You knew, when you signed on as editor, that you would live in a fishbowl; your readers have reminded you of that. (Continued…)
Mad Man
posted 11/23/09 @ 10:02 AM CST
"Now tell me, what organization on campus has that kind of transparency?" - Parker Willis
Big boy organizations that tout "transparency" don't hide behind anonymous columns. (Continued…)
Post a Comment