Spring Break
Riverfront Review unethical
Conservative publication violates standards held by most credible journalists
Jacob McCormick
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
As the paper says itself, no one on the staff is a journalism major or minor, so it's safe to assume they haven't had much experience in reporting, organizing or laying out a newspaper. Let's put this situation into perspective for a minute.
The closest thing I've taken to a business class is microeconomics, but if I wanted to start a business I wouldn't do it alone or with people who are journalism majors. I'd probably ask for at least some advice from business majors, professors and others who know a little bit more about the field than I do. It seems like a pretty logical thing to do, right?
The people behind the Review think all that goes into a newspaper are opinions, printing paper, a disclaimer and ink. If you have all that, you've got yourself a source of media. If you believe that, please stop reading now. Even the average person who is involved in politics and the news world knows some of the common sense ethics newspapers employ.
On the opposite page, there's a disclaimer from senior editor in chief Kristy LeTourneau on top of a disclaimer from sophomore editorial editor Sean McCormick. McCormick states that the paper is "committed to reporting news and events with objectivity" and "when it comes to reporting, we leave our agendas at the door." The irony here involves a letter from "Joey H." to the left of the disclaimers and a letter from English professor Jon Loomis on letters page.
Loomis' letter is an obvious jab at the Review and I'll give the Review credit for publishing a dissenting voice. However, the letter from "Joey H." (it's very evident that this letter is from one of the Review's staff members) is a rebuttal to Loomis' letter. This is a quintessential no-no in the journalism community.
Newspapers cannot comment online or in print on criticisms from their readers, especially in the form of an "average" student, which Joey H. isn't. This is evident in the fact that his last name is kept hidden (along with all the other letters to the editor) and only staff members would have seen Loomis' letter before it went to print. I've never commented on a criticism from a reader about a column I wrote because it's their right to have an opposite viewpoint and the job of journalists is not to argue with readers - that's just journalistic etiquette plain and simple.
The closest thing I've taken to a business class is microeconomics, but if I wanted to start a business I wouldn't do it alone or with people who are journalism majors. I'd probably ask for at least some advice from business majors, professors and others who know a little bit more about the field than I do. It seems like a pretty logical thing to do, right?
The people behind the Review think all that goes into a newspaper are opinions, printing paper, a disclaimer and ink. If you have all that, you've got yourself a source of media. If you believe that, please stop reading now. Even the average person who is involved in politics and the news world knows some of the common sense ethics newspapers employ.
On the opposite page, there's a disclaimer from senior editor in chief Kristy LeTourneau on top of a disclaimer from sophomore editorial editor Sean McCormick. McCormick states that the paper is "committed to reporting news and events with objectivity" and "when it comes to reporting, we leave our agendas at the door." The irony here involves a letter from "Joey H." to the left of the disclaimers and a letter from English professor Jon Loomis on letters page.
Loomis' letter is an obvious jab at the Review and I'll give the Review credit for publishing a dissenting voice. However, the letter from "Joey H." (it's very evident that this letter is from one of the Review's staff members) is a rebuttal to Loomis' letter. This is a quintessential no-no in the journalism community.
Newspapers cannot comment online or in print on criticisms from their readers, especially in the form of an "average" student, which Joey H. isn't. This is evident in the fact that his last name is kept hidden (along with all the other letters to the editor) and only staff members would have seen Loomis' letter before it went to print. I've never commented on a criticism from a reader about a column I wrote because it's their right to have an opposite viewpoint and the job of journalists is not to argue with readers - that's just journalistic etiquette plain and simple.
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