Editorial Responsibility Defined

Any publication has a responsibility to maintain standards in adherence to the sensitivities of its readers. In doing so, it must provide ample material to satisfy a broad-based audience. Similarly, by omitting various references or topics, it ensures that even the most sensitive reader is not disenfranchised. It is a give and take: provide content and maintain limits.

The Commentator has been criticized of late over the choice of opinion pieces and columns it solicits. In truth, much of the paper's content can only be determined by those who submit articles, not those who solicit them. While it is certainly true that a few of the recent pieces have pushed the envelope, and perhaps there are those readers who believe that they have been out of place, what is overlooked is the overall picture. A student newspaper does not belong to its editors or its staff, it belongs to the students. A valid student opinion, regardless of its popularity, deserves the right to be published in a student newspaper.

If someone objects to or disagrees with what is being published, one may counter by making their own opinion known. Only by actively writing letters and columns can one influence the tone and substance of the paper in order to achieve a happy medium. Otherwise, the editorship only sees one side of every story.