Editorial
Voice has obligation to inform, teach campus
November 6, 2008
You may have noticed the occasional black and white issues of the Student Voice appearing on newsstands. The number of issues void of color will only increase as budget cuts and inadequate funding continue to affect the paper. Cuts have forced our organization to reduce staff, page sizes, stories and print quality as the costs of printing has gone up.
There has also been some confusion over exactly what the Student Voice is and what purpose it serves on campus. The Voice is a student-run news organization that has been tasked by campus administrators to report news that is relevant to the University. We are not a glorified public relations department, nor do we always print “fluff” stories. Some of the events we report will be positive, others negative. The Student Voice is not a mouthpiece for any particular organization or influence on campus. The paper is intended to educate and inform, not to spin.
The news stories that appear in the paper are being researched and written by students in a journalism class who are still learning how to write news articles. They are not paid for their work; their articles are assignments. Journalism students, much like students in any other department, are fairly new to the process and still learning. The Voice is a serious publication, but it is also part of their educational experience. The students work hard each week to present the University news to the student body.
The organization does employ a staff of editors, proofreaders, photographers and page designers who arrange the paper each week. This paper’s editorial staff is not infallible, and we do make mistakes. When that happens, we want to hear about it. Send a letter or an e-mail to the editor at editor@uwrfvoice.com to let us know how we are doing. The Student Voice is meant to be just that, the voice of the students. Our success depends on your input.
Furthermore, if you believe you can do better, the Student Voice is now accepting applications for the spring semester. We urge students who are interested to pick up these applications outside the door of the Voice office at North Hall 304. All of these issues that we deal with each week are worthwhile knowing that we provide a valuable resource and we appreciate your continued support and readership.