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Staff at UGA paper walks out after non-student editor appointed

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by HanSenSE, Aug 15, 2012.

  1. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Found on Facebook from j-school teacher at another SEC school:

    http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2012-08-15/red-black-student-staffers-walk-out
     
  2. Point of Order

    Point of Order Active Member

    If half of what this girl is saying is true, sounds like some MAJOR BS going down at UGA and they should be ashamed of themselves.

    http://redanddead.com/
     
  3. SockPuppet

    SockPuppet Active Member

    People of leadership in all media should wind up in Hell if they are contacted by a reporter and respond with "No comment."
     
  4. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    Agreed.
     
  5. PeterGibbons

    PeterGibbons Member

    Here is the memo that made everyone walk out.
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3jBKFhghgZzMjNEa2pUd04xRWM/view?pli=1&sle=true

    Whoever wrote this should never be allowed to practice journalism or, god forbid, be allowed to teach journalism.
    WTF is Liable?
    or "I guess this is 'journalism'"
     
  6. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Link does not work.
    Another WTF moment between the hedges.
     
  7. PeterGibbons

    PeterGibbons Member

    There is a link to it on here:
    http://www.splc.org/news/newsflash.asp?id=2427
     
  8. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    Kent Middleton needs ask himself one question, and one question only: What would Conrad Fink say to this?
     
  9. PeterGibbons

    PeterGibbons Member

    I don't think there is any question, Fink is spinning in his grave right now
     
  10. mrbigles01

    mrbigles01 Member

    Not to be a voice that runs counter to the prevailing argument . . .

    When I was in college at Northeastern University the same thing happened to our paper. So we did something about it. Within a week we were producing from off campus. In less than six months we had our own office space off campus. In less than a year we were making more money than we did as part of the University, we even went from once a week to twice a week.

    Five years later the paper is still going and just survived having its entire computer system go down thanks to donations from alums and students.

    Don't get mad editors of Red and Black . . . get even!!!
     
  11. I read Middleton's draft memo, and most of the items covered there are the kind of general platitudes that would be handed down from any suit at a Gannett, McClatchy, etc. shop. Nothing new there. But as with anything, the devil is in the details.

    Some of the instructions are downright troubling. The emphasis on what is "good" and "bad" sounds like a shift to more "happy news" and less investigative work. A ban on stories that might be "offensive" to any member of the community is far too broad in scope. What is offensive? Telling me something I don't want to hear? An 11-count story front above the fold sounds real attractive -- maybe 50 years ago. And we won't even get into "liable," which is just laughable coming from a journalism professional who is complaining about typos and errors in print.

    The biggest shift is editorial control. The editorial director has gone from adviser to editor-in-chief, and that is unacceptable at a student newspaper. Sounds like the UGA administration leaned on the dept. head to rein in the paper. The students were right to walk out in protest. If I were in their situation, I would look into publishing an online alternative student newspaper.
     
  12. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    The good ol boys are hard at work at UGA.
     
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