Part 2 of Chapter 6

Part 2

From page 214


Newspaper staff should check quotes with their sources.

Off the cuff comments need permission to be printed. What does this mean?

The editor does have an obligation to understand the concepts of the institution in which he is enrolled. P215

Gaining admittance to the news sources is REALLY important. Printing material without gaining admittance to the source is poor journalism. All stories need sources. You need to prove how you got the story and that it is fact. P 216

Factual news stories and columns will receive little or no comment. A criticism, change in policy, controversial topics will receive a lot of backlash. Stick to the facts. No one will read a factual follow up to a sensational first piece. Get is right the first time so you don’t create problems.

The editor who has “staff empathy” and “admittance to sources” is in a position to judge veracity of the news. Page 217


Responsibilities of a College newspaper

Responsibilities of the editor

You must find a way to present your facts without editorializing. P218

Better to have a short concise story than to drag it out to fill space. Shorts can be used to fill in the extra space.


Key Principles of a first-rate newspaper: page 219
Responsible and thorough coverage of the news, the important news as well as the interesting news.
Emphasis on interesting in 1st part because the news reads to be covered interestingly or else no one would want to read it.
Fair play-the paper is responsible for being a student run paper, to cover important, interesting, academic, sports, social sides of the community which they are responsible to.

Functions: P220
Its size does not have a great deal to do with its function. Its just as hard to put our a little paper than a big one.
You must aim your content at the basic interests of your readers.
You must give them material you very well that they should read but will not be inclined to do so because it is a little too heavy. Present it in a way that it will want to be read. (I want to do a story on Global Warming and how it is going to affect Eckerd if we continue to contribute to it. I think it would be a good story. More details when I get back)
Job description manual is needed. ( I am working on it )


Student writers and reporters
An editorial page is the soul of the paper. It really shows the personality of the paper. P222
Don’t let intimidation stop you from asking really in depth questions.


Standards for college papers

We should be expected to:
Print the news accurately and literally
Provide a forum for the free exchange of opinion
“The manner in which a newspaper of any kind addresses itself to this responsibility [to the reader] is the exact measure of its merit.” P224 I really like this.

Attitude and standard are a big part of a newspaper staff. We should have the respect for truth, as encrusted in fact; the search fir clear, concise expression; the pride for accomplishment P225. These must be self-imposed to be effective.

Responsibility in Int’l news and nat’l news

It is important to expose the readers to issues in the nat’l news and Int’l news. ( I feel like Will and Jamie have successfully strengthened the World news section of the paper. Since Eckerd has such a big Int’l program, and its Int’l majors are prominent, I believe that this section needs to be a consistently strong section every week. It appeals to a large number of readers)

News briefs could be incorporated into the paper to help the readers gain knowledge on the issues nationally. (The problem with this is that it takes so damn long to get our paper back) p230

Endorsing political candidates

Most campus papers choose not to or have a policy against endorsing political candidates. (Do we have a policy against that?)
Some faculty advisors commented that because the paper is a monopoly publication, that editorial endorsement would be unwise. P232 (I don’t think any 4 people on our staff have the same views on politics… so how would we even be able to write one)

(Do you feel that we should have editorials in the paper more often?)

Although most campuses do not endorse Political candidates, they do cover event run by student political groups (Young Democrats, Republicans etc.), mock elections and impartial coverage of political issues.




Do you not want me to do chapter 7? I have the readings on it, but you didn’t assign it…. Student Publications 1-3,6 on the way