Our
view
Department
ethics in jeopardy
The journalism department has been in somewhat
of an uproar during these past couple of
days, and in light of all the turmoil, we,
the editorial staff, have several concerns
and issues which we would like our valued
readers to be aware of.
The collective feeling held by the editorial
staff, based upon events that took place
during a board meeting Monday, is that we
are not being supported by all members of
the journalism department.
Though it should be needless to say, we
are journalism students who, just like all
other students at Cal State Long Beach,
pay to be here. And as students, we need,
and more importantly, pay to be involved
in a department composed of people who see
it as their job to support our education
and us.
However, recent discussion has made it painfully
obvious that certain department members
do not necessarily hold this objective.
Some department members appear to be driven
by other goals, including but not limited
to, certain political agendas and the procuring
of power and recognition. We simply do not
feel that certain members are acting in
our best interest.
One of the jobs of a student newspaper,
which we believe we are, is to act as an
open forum for people to voice their concerns
and opinions to perhaps invoke reaction
and change. Hence, we would like to use
our means to express our dissatisfaction
in the way our department has been operating.
As displayed by several members of the department
Monday, some of them are bitterly working
against each other for their own individual
gain, rather than together for the good
of the department and the education of students.
With department members actively working
against each other, our position as students
and the quality of our education is compromised
and ignored.
Another issue of concern involves the creation
of a committee that will be revising a charter
that directly affects the editorial staff
and the development of the On-line Forty-Niner.
We understand that all members of the editorial
staff are not on the board and thus cannot
vote on or decide who should sit on the
revision committee. However, as students
and staff of the On-line Forty-Niner, we
feel that we have the right to be accurately
represented, informed and heard concerning
this issue, not just for us, but also for
future staff and students of the journalism
department.
In light of our dissatisfaction we invite
and recommend all students to critically
analyze their own departments. If you find
that you are dissatisfied with the way it
works, voice your opinion by sending us
a letter or e-mail, or just come in and
talk to us. We understand the intimidation
that can be encountered when one attempts
to voice a dissenting opinion. We have faced
that intimidation. But remember, you are
paying for your education and you should,
and do have a say as to how it is conducted.
Ultimately, the most disturbing thing about
the recent turbulence occurring within the
journalism department is that it has become
extremely evident that some members have
forgotten their sole purpose for even being
here at CSULB. Their purpose is our education.
Their focus has been lost somewhere along
the way and it must be found again.
All members of the journalism department,
or any department, must act in the best
interest of the student. That is their job.
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