2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Free Response
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Opinion
This year we have published 27 issues of the Trinitonian. While they have never been perfect, they have all been perfect examples of the power of the first amendment. Our Bill of Rights guarantees us freedom of press. Now, at a private university such as Trinity, we are not automatically accorded this right. Rather, it is a privilege. And it must not be one that we take for granted. While we do not have the same access to information that a public university must allow its newspapers, the Trinitonian fights to present to you the best possible independent student publication on a private campus.
One of the most frustrating parts of every week for the six section editors is not the late hours or the lack of a bathroom in our windowless basement, but rather the lack of response. It is a tried and true rule of publishing that if someone likes what you did, they will nod as they are reading. If they think you are an idiot, they will write a letter espousing all of the ways they feel this is true and expect you to publish it.
We never consider not publishing the letters received, positive or negative, because the reader has a right to respond and be heard. It is also part of the responsibilities of editing a paper to accept our mistakes and display the diversity of opinions for the entire community to consider. Most letters (the few we received) have been in this category, and oftentimes it felt like an affirmation of our civic duty to have simply inspired someone to sit down and say something.
But in a perfect world we imagine a page of letters every week from students inspired by the power of the press as a platform to mold their community through words! There are 35 members of the Trinitonian staff who put out a paper for, all said and done, about 3,000 people. A little over a year ago, we were the incoming editorial board, and we were ready to implement some grand ideas.
Currently, another staff of talented editors is preparing for their turn at this job beginning next semester. With a new staff comes new decisions. What content has been important to the readers as you pick up a paper week after week? What new ideas would you like seeing carried out in the future? If you liked having a PageTwo filled with national and world news or if you enjoyed the Viva! reviews of San Antonio restuarants and new music, a simple e-mail would ensure that we are printing the best possible paper to your hands.
Use us to speak to the administrators and peers. Use us to speak your mind.
One of the most frustrating parts of every week for the six section editors is not the late hours or the lack of a bathroom in our windowless basement, but rather the lack of response. It is a tried and true rule of publishing that if someone likes what you did, they will nod as they are reading. If they think you are an idiot, they will write a letter espousing all of the ways they feel this is true and expect you to publish it.
We never consider not publishing the letters received, positive or negative, because the reader has a right to respond and be heard. It is also part of the responsibilities of editing a paper to accept our mistakes and display the diversity of opinions for the entire community to consider. Most letters (the few we received) have been in this category, and oftentimes it felt like an affirmation of our civic duty to have simply inspired someone to sit down and say something.
But in a perfect world we imagine a page of letters every week from students inspired by the power of the press as a platform to mold their community through words! There are 35 members of the Trinitonian staff who put out a paper for, all said and done, about 3,000 people. A little over a year ago, we were the incoming editorial board, and we were ready to implement some grand ideas.
Currently, another staff of talented editors is preparing for their turn at this job beginning next semester. With a new staff comes new decisions. What content has been important to the readers as you pick up a paper week after week? What new ideas would you like seeing carried out in the future? If you liked having a PageTwo filled with national and world news or if you enjoyed the Viva! reviews of San Antonio restuarants and new music, a simple e-mail would ensure that we are printing the best possible paper to your hands.
Use us to speak to the administrators and peers. Use us to speak your mind.
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