Letter
from the editor
Biased story causes conflict with organization
Found
in the pages of the 49er Publications Manual
is a section that describes a little thing
we journalists like to refer to as conflict
of interest. The manual is a valuable document,
which places, in writing, policies that
editors and staff should and must adhere
to. However, the On-line Forty-Niner has
not been as diligent as we have a commitment
to be.
Conflict of interest includes any activity
that includes, “Active participation in
partisan political organizations and advocacy
groups, and similar involvements that would
compromise or seem to compromise the newspaper’s
fairness and balance, shall be avoided during
the time that a student is a member of the
On-line Forty-Niner staff.”
Of course it is naîve to believe that
in a university environment students will
not want to take part in any organizational
activity outside of the newsroom.
However when these organizations begin to
evoke a bias on a reporter then conflict
of interest arises.
Conflict of interest was what influenced
an article that ran last Wednesday, which
covered the Pro-American Rally sponsored
by the College Republicans. Unfortunately,
the discovery came too late.
I would like to extend my regrets for allowing
portions of the article to slip by editors
for its biased account.
Unfortunately it became a failure of the
system, we are all students and as an editorial
staff we are learning. We are dealing with
the problem internally and would like to
assure our readers that in the future the
On-line Forty-Niner will make a conscious
effort to not allow such content into the
paper.
Our intentions of course are not to isolate
any member or group of this campus and the
article did just that.
As journalists we are supposed to present
an objective and unbiased account of anyone
or anything that is covered. Our credibility
has been damaged with some of our readers
and we will work to restore it.
I would also like to extend my regrets to
Maulana Karenga, of the black studies department.
I am sorry that the reference to you as
a “convicted torturer” passed by copy editors
and into the paper, without proper comment
by you.
—Kimberly
Pasquis
Editor in Chief
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