The Tufts Daily is introducing a new concept for the newspaper, albeit not an original one - a space for the editor. The idea of an editor's column is something that has gained momentum as print media attempts to gain a more personal touch vis-? -vis the normally staid and neutral articles that grace their pages.
The biggest hurdle the concept faced was the concern that a column would potentially do more harm than good to the newspaper. Sharing the innermost workings of the Daily would probably just get us in trouble, and who really wants to hear what the editor has to say anyways?
But I do not think the gains can be exaggerated. This campus is rife with students and professors who have had concerns with Tufts' only student newspaper, mostly due, in my experience, to miscommunication or misunderstanding between you, our readers, and us.
If the Daily is not understood or liked, then it is increasingly unlikely that it will be read. But maybe, through this column, we can try to smooth over misunderstandings, explain a little about what we do, and share with our readers our reasoning. It may be well worth the effort.
That is not to say that journalism is falling back to its pre-20th century mold. I doubt the Daily will be printing first-person exposes of our writers' daring exploits as Hearst was wont to do; no, the press' primary purpose is to inform readers through a neutral and unbiased voice. But for the press to be informative, the readers must believe and trust the source.
So this is our attempt to do just that. Please feel free to send me questions, complaints, comments, or just sound off. This is an outreach to our readers to make us more accountable in our coverage of issues that matter to them. We have taken the first step. Now it's your turn.
In this vein, we are taking other steps this year to increase student-body participation in the paper. We are working to make space for student comics in the paper, the first example of which you can see above this column in the editorial cartoon by the talented freshman Trey Kirk. Comic artists on campus who would like to see their work printed once a week should come down to the office and show us what they have.
Also, as many of you already know, Tuftsdaily.com now has feedback ability. This is a chance for Tufts students to have an open online forum to discuss our coverage, campus-wide issues, or just to congratulate a member of our community on a job well done.
I hope you will turn in to what I have to say every Monday. So until next week, enjoy the crosswords.<$>
