2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Student Cites Spring Semester Sophian Flaws
Issue date: 4/7/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Editor,
Each week when I pick up my copy of the Sophian at my mailbox, I am consistently appalled at some of what is deemed fit to print as news by this paper. I feel that the journalistic integrity of the paper has reached new lows during this semester alone. I am left to wonder how and if copy is screened before it reaches the front pages. How do articles such as "Alleged Rape Occurs Over J-Term," by Lauren Cox, which explicitly sensationalized an alleged sexual assault by highlighting details of the case, which not only are not relevant but which also serve to further alienate survivors of sexual assault in this community, become a front page feature in this newspaper? As long as we're on the subject of poor journalistic practices, I would also like to point out that just because someone has an opinion, doesn't mean that the Sophian needs to print it. A good example of this is the controversial article "Closing the Racial Schisms" by Esi Cleland. In this article, Cleland inferred that international students are more polite than their American counterparts, the crew team is constantly inebriated, and "women of color are absorbed in their support groups," and therefore have no time to care about international students, among other things. At least the Sophian takes the time to cover the backlash from articles such as these when letters to the editor come flowing in, in droves. I am not arguing for censorship of peoples' opinions nor am I lambasting the paper as a whole. I am simply asking that more consideration be given to the ramifications of what is printed. The features, opinions and editorials this paper prints constitute a major source of news for the Smith community. It is necessary to remember that community before a single paper goes to print.
Sincerely,
Nicole Gagnon '07
Each week when I pick up my copy of the Sophian at my mailbox, I am consistently appalled at some of what is deemed fit to print as news by this paper. I feel that the journalistic integrity of the paper has reached new lows during this semester alone. I am left to wonder how and if copy is screened before it reaches the front pages. How do articles such as "Alleged Rape Occurs Over J-Term," by Lauren Cox, which explicitly sensationalized an alleged sexual assault by highlighting details of the case, which not only are not relevant but which also serve to further alienate survivors of sexual assault in this community, become a front page feature in this newspaper? As long as we're on the subject of poor journalistic practices, I would also like to point out that just because someone has an opinion, doesn't mean that the Sophian needs to print it. A good example of this is the controversial article "Closing the Racial Schisms" by Esi Cleland. In this article, Cleland inferred that international students are more polite than their American counterparts, the crew team is constantly inebriated, and "women of color are absorbed in their support groups," and therefore have no time to care about international students, among other things. At least the Sophian takes the time to cover the backlash from articles such as these when letters to the editor come flowing in, in droves. I am not arguing for censorship of peoples' opinions nor am I lambasting the paper as a whole. I am simply asking that more consideration be given to the ramifications of what is printed. The features, opinions and editorials this paper prints constitute a major source of news for the Smith community. It is necessary to remember that community before a single paper goes to print.
Sincerely,
Nicole Gagnon '07