While I applaud the Daily for reporting on the lack of ESPN on the campus' cable package this year ("ESPN not on 2003 campus cable roster," Sept. 4), I was disappointed at the nature of the reporting.
The story reads much like a press release from Wayne Bouchard and TCCS. Judging from the article, Tufts is merely the victim of ESPN's greed and students (based on the quotes offered) are forgiving. If the Daily is intent on blaming ESPN and interjecting opinion about what a "reasonable deal" is, at minimum, balanced reporting requires the paper to contact someone at ESPN to allow the company to explain its actions.
In addition, the quotes from students do not seem to be reflective of campus opinion as a whole. Students I know on campus have expressed a great deal of anger about the situation, and one said he would rather pay for cable with ESPN (as in the past) than receive free cable without it. The author also should have qualified what "$50,000--$100,000" meant in terms of Tufts' larger budget.
I hope the Daily will pay closer attention to these issues in the future and maintain the commitment to fair and balanced reporting that has made it one of the best college newspapers in the country.
More from The Tufts Daily
