The Tufts Daily ran a news article on Thursday, Nov. 12 ("Senate denies funds for public editor"), explaining that the Allocations Board (ALBO) denied funding for the salary of the public editor. In the Daily article, Tufts Community Union (TCU) Treasurer Aaron Bartel explained that, "The general idea is that while the ALBO and the Senate appreciate the job the public editor does, we saw it as inappropriate to pay for a student at Tufts to make submissions to any publication." I disagree with the ALBO decision, and I want to explain why the ALBO should reassess the importance of the public editor position and approve funding for the Public Editor.
As the Deputy Public Editor under Jeremy White (LA '09), I experienced firsthand the role of the public editor and its importance to the Tufts community. Started in the spring of 2009 by former Media Advocacy Board (MAB) Chairman Patrick Roath (LA '09), the public editor's fundamental role is to listen and respond to students' opinions about on-campus media. With the wide variety of publications at Tufts, it is essential that there be an avenue for students to express their concerns about ethical infractions they observe. For example, last year White began a discussion on the public editor blog addressing the anonymity of the Observer's new marijuana columnist, Reggie Hubbard. Several students offered their opinions on the issue, including Hubbard himself, which successfully opened the discussion to the campus as a whole. This highlights the key role the public editor plays in facilitating dialogue among members of the Tufts community.
Thus, the public editor's job entails much more than reading every publication and checking to see that they adhere to the standards of journalistic integrity. Acting as a student advocate, the public editor facilitates constructive dialogue between media sources and the student population, an aspect of conflict resolution with which the Tufts community is very familiar.
A popular objection to paying the public editor is that someone should not be paid for such a job when other student leaders are not paid for their hard work. I understand that many motivated and committed Tufts students devote countless hours to their clubs, publications and organizations and do not get paid. However, the public editor's job requires — especially during the early stages of holding the position — increasing the visibility of the position to ensure that students know where to turn when they have issues with an on-campus media source.
By paying the public editor, you mandate that he or she take an active role in publicizing and promoting the position. When establishing the job, the MAB intended for a small stipend to attract highly qualified candidates and draw attention to a project they felt would significantly improve the on-campus media dialogue. I believe the $250 stipend would motivate the public editor to plan educational lectures and interactive events that familiarize students with the position. For example, last semester on Feb. 25, the MAB hosted a launch event, inviting students and faculty to hear National Public Radio's ombudsman, Alicia Shepard, speak. Offering a salary for the position ensures that the public editor is continually keeping up with student feedback as well as articulating student sentiment in his or her columns. Without a salary, few qualified candidates will apply for such a job and Tufts could lose an essential voice for student opinion.
The Daily's Thursday, Nov. 12 editorial supported the funding of the public editor position: "The job is not about simply editorializing on student life and campus happenings; it's about holding media groups accountable and fostering discussion when an organization falters." Bartel's argument that "no other student at Tufts gets paid to write in magazines or newspapers" reflects an incomplete understanding of the public editor's role. Being able to critique the media requires not only knowledge of journalistic ethical standards, but also the ability to represent both sides in a sensitive debate of personal opinion.
Therefore, the public editor should be paid to promote the position and act as a student advocate when there are issues with on-campus publications. Holding media sources responsible for their ethical mistakes is necessary to maintain a trusting relationship between media sources and the Tufts community. It is imperative that the ALBO reassess the importance of the public editor position and include a salary for the job in the future MAB budget.
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Caleb Zimmerman is a junior majoring in international relations.
