Journalism professor resents harsh comments 

Three students are presently enrolled in the photo option. No one can justify wasting taxpayers' money to pay a professor to teach three students.  If there is not an interest in a subject, the university cannot offer the study.

Your attacks saying I do not care seem to be unfounded. I make no decision regarding the Forty-Niner or University Magazine without first considering the impact on each student.

A cardinal principle of journalism is to give the subject of an attack a chance to respond. Both I and professor Wayne Kelly were unaware of your concerns.

I just signed an agreement to guarantee advertising online for both the newspaper and magazine so that their survival may be secured.

Since I assumed the responsibility of two options, newspaper and magazine, several years ago, I have pushed for publishing the magazine more than once a semester.

The board and managers both have outlined a plan for photos that you need to be aware of before you make unfounded remarks.

I pledged myself to student journalism many years ago and strongly resent your attacks on my reputation.

I just delivered an academic paper titled "The New Media: Journalism Education's Challenge."

In addition, I serve on the cutting-edge national Computer Technology and Policy Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communications, which oversees accreditation.

I certainly do care and am aware of the changes taking place in our field. We must not be afraid of the future but embrace it.

I recently expressed to Lee Brown, current  journalism department chairman, that we must cease the journalism bashing taking place in our department.

By the way, UCLA's Daily Bruin and many other great American student newspapers are not associated with neither a journalism nor a photojournalism program, but they are very successful.

--William Mulligan, journalism professor and publisher of the Daily Forty-Niner