2008 Woodie Awards
Students illustrate freedom of the press
EDITORIAL
Issue date: 8/18/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Now that you are about to be introduced to everything else at Trinity, allow us to introduce you to the Trinitonian.
The Trinitonian is Trinity's student-run and student-edited weekly newspaper. That means that no faculty or staff members have a say in what you will read in this publication. While Trinity could use its power as a private university to censor the Trinitonian, it chooses to emulate a free-press environment and respect the First Amendment.
The Trinitonian uses this freedom to let the Trinity community know what is going on at the University. Did you hear a rumor that the Association of Student Representatives had gotten drunk and destroyed a hotel room? The Trinitonian will be the forum where you can learn the truth about that rumor. Do you want to know the details about why Trinity chose to bring yet another country artist for the New Student Orientation concert? Just read the front page of this week's Trinitonian.
At the Trinitonian, we receive constant complaints about our failure to cover national and international news. The Trinitonian is a newspaper written and produced by Trinity students that covers strictly Trinity events. Any national or international story that we cover will have a Trinity tie-in.
Our answer to the naysayers who demand non-Trinity news is always the same: Any newspaper can syndicate news about the crisis in the Middle East, but only the Trinitonian can tell you about the Trinity students who were caught in that conflict.
The Elizabeth Huth Coates Library stocks about 10 major newspapers, including The New York Times. By comparison, over the summer, the University of the Incarnate Word's library removed The New York Times from its shelves due to that newspaper's coverage of governmental anti-terrorism programs. In your search for off-campus news, visit the library and take advantage of the fact that it does not promote censorship.
Or, if you do not want to make the trek to upper campus, any student with Internet access can access hundreds of online news services that cover events around the world.
We encourage you to utilize these sources for outside-the-bubble news and to turn to the Trinitonian when you need to satisfy your craving for news about the University.
Furthermore, we urge you to take advantage of the free-press environment on the Trinity campus. While the Trinitonian strives to create an open dialogue about issues at the University, this dialogue cannot exist if you do not participate. So, when the Trinity administration starts to annoy you, write a letter to the editor or a guest column. The deadline for guest submissions is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication. The powers that be are much more likely to address your complaint if you voice it in a public forum.
And, although you will hear this piece of advice countless times during New Student Orientation, make your voice heard by getting involved on campus. Join a University committee, start a Trinity Multicultural Network group or play an intramural sport. This campus is what you make of it.
The Trinitonian is Trinity's student-run and student-edited weekly newspaper. That means that no faculty or staff members have a say in what you will read in this publication. While Trinity could use its power as a private university to censor the Trinitonian, it chooses to emulate a free-press environment and respect the First Amendment.
The Trinitonian uses this freedom to let the Trinity community know what is going on at the University. Did you hear a rumor that the Association of Student Representatives had gotten drunk and destroyed a hotel room? The Trinitonian will be the forum where you can learn the truth about that rumor. Do you want to know the details about why Trinity chose to bring yet another country artist for the New Student Orientation concert? Just read the front page of this week's Trinitonian.
At the Trinitonian, we receive constant complaints about our failure to cover national and international news. The Trinitonian is a newspaper written and produced by Trinity students that covers strictly Trinity events. Any national or international story that we cover will have a Trinity tie-in.
Our answer to the naysayers who demand non-Trinity news is always the same: Any newspaper can syndicate news about the crisis in the Middle East, but only the Trinitonian can tell you about the Trinity students who were caught in that conflict.
The Elizabeth Huth Coates Library stocks about 10 major newspapers, including The New York Times. By comparison, over the summer, the University of the Incarnate Word's library removed The New York Times from its shelves due to that newspaper's coverage of governmental anti-terrorism programs. In your search for off-campus news, visit the library and take advantage of the fact that it does not promote censorship.
Or, if you do not want to make the trek to upper campus, any student with Internet access can access hundreds of online news services that cover events around the world.
We encourage you to utilize these sources for outside-the-bubble news and to turn to the Trinitonian when you need to satisfy your craving for news about the University.
Furthermore, we urge you to take advantage of the free-press environment on the Trinity campus. While the Trinitonian strives to create an open dialogue about issues at the University, this dialogue cannot exist if you do not participate. So, when the Trinity administration starts to annoy you, write a letter to the editor or a guest column. The deadline for guest submissions is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication. The powers that be are much more likely to address your complaint if you voice it in a public forum.
And, although you will hear this piece of advice countless times during New Student Orientation, make your voice heard by getting involved on campus. Join a University committee, start a Trinity Multicultural Network group or play an intramural sport. This campus is what you make of it.
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