Editorial
This weekend, five members of the Crow’s Nest staff attended a college media convention in New Orleans with thousands of our fellow student-run publication leaders. The ghost tour of the French Quarter was sort of scary. The Bourbon Street drunks were even scarier. But the horror stories we heard from other publications, within the walls of our probably-not-haunted four-star hotel, were the most terrifying of all.
In a workshop on conducting good interviews, students shared their experiences with tough sources. One young woman said her school’s student government created its own public relations position and a hired a less than accommodating student for the job.
This one student was the only person allowed to speak to the school newspaper on behalf of the student government. One student responsible for knowing the ins and outs of every issue, every bill, every new initiative and every internal department. And majority of the time, this student would evade the reporter and fail to answer questions. That is not OK!
That this school’s student government thought this was a sensible practice is not particularly shocking, but that the student newspaper allowed it to take place is absolutely astounding.
Perhaps this particular newspaper did something to piss off its student government. The staff member did not say. Regardless, giving reporters one person to answer all their questions is a stupid idea. Refusing to answer questions will not deter a reporter from writing a story. It’ll only prompt the writer to find alternative sources willing to talk. And do know you which students are almost always willing to talk? The angry ones; the students who disagree with whatever student government is doing. Evading a reporter will almost always backfire, and not because we intend it too.
In best practice, a student-run publication should extend the microphone to those on all sides of a story. But if our access to one side is limited, we have to work with what we’ve got. It’s our duty to our readers.
We thank the journalism gods who look over the Crow’s Nest for giving us such an accommodating, understanding and respectful student government. Not only do they agree to being interviewed without fail, but they come to our reporters with need-to-know news. They know what information needs to be shared with students and they know we’re the outlet best equipped to share it.
They understand the need for a healthy student government-student newspaper relationship. We understand that too. And if our SG ever thinks about pulling stunt like the one mentioned above # though we have complete faith they’d never stoop that low # they’re smart enough to know we’d raise hell.
Other students recounted grueling confrontations with stubborn university public relations professionals. They were told they were “missing the point” of a story because they were not highlighting the positives, or that they were wrong for reporting a serious issue without including the university’s “spin.”
This made us so thankful that Tom Scherberger, USFSP’s communications director, gets it. He knows that part of his job is to uphold the university’s reputation, but he also knows he has to keep students honestly and thoroughly informed. The front page story that makes USFSP seem a bit dangerous for bicycle-riding students? Scherberger gave us that tip. He gets it.
A student-run newspaper will always beckon some degree of hostility toward itself. But if it doesn’t, if everyone is always 100 percent pleased with everything published, the publication is not doing its job. We’re glad you get you that.
