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	Vol.7, No 45, November 16, 1999
	Cheap shots belittle news Once again, the Union has displayed poor journalistic judgment. Patrick Reetz, Union editor in chief, claims in a column that journalism faculty can censor the Daily Forty-Niner's content. This is blatantly false. Journalism professors have no control over us. No professors, advisers or publishers give us their stamp of approval before a story goes into the paper. And professors don't hang over our shoulders, telling us what to do. Students control the day-to-day operations of the Forty-Niner, not the faculty. In fact, we refuse to be controlled by any entity, by funding, grading or otherwise, unlike the Associated Students Inc.-funded Union. The Union can easily be censored because A.S.I. can yank its funding or its papers from the racks. A few semesters ago, Union papers were removed from the stands for offensive content. Also, the Associated Students Senate closed the Union in the 1980s. This has not and will not happen at the Forty-Niner. Journalism professors give us feedback about the paper after it's published. But their comments are usually related to writing and editing techniques, not story selection. For example, last week we ran a story with negative comments about a journalism teacher, who staged a fake hostage situation for a reporting exercise. The teacher, Julio Laboy, did not stop us from running the critical comments. He, like the other journalism professors, knows the fundamental importance of student press freedom. We doubt A.S.I. understands this importance. The Forty-Niner is far more independent than the Union, so it's ridiculous the Union brings up that issue. To ensure quality issues, the Forty-Niner student staff can choose and edit stories based on newsworthiness and information value. Also, because we can be selective, we don't have to publish pointless rants. We have scooped the Union hundreds of times. Remember the stories on credit card scams, veteran discrimination and car theft? By the way, The Associated Press stories are relevant to the campus. AP stories we've published include students' losing financial aid for drug convictions, the Wilmington refinery explosion, local freeway shootings and the raising of California State University admission requirements. Most students would consider choking on toxic fumes or dodging bullets on the way to school important. The Forty-Niner is a real paper, staffed by students who have held jobs at publications such as the Los Angeles Times and The Orange County Register. Union staffers, don't try to knock our paper. We have better news judgment, layout, writers and editors than you. And most of all, we are more professional. So don't try to pick a fight with us -- we won't boost your readership by talking about you in our paper anymore.		Fire damages home near CSULB   2 rookies take L.B. race   Campus concert makes no money Cheap shots belittle news   Special events close parking   Thefts too much for cops The Beach loses grip of first   LBSU can't overcome USC   49ers lose in double overtime Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.