Commentary southerndigest.com
The Sentinel Of An Enlightened Student Body since 1926
Friday, October 28, 2011 - Page 11
Real experience, not experiments SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SUITE 1064 T.H. HARRIS HALL POST OFFICE BOX 10180 BATON ROUGE, LA 70813 PHONE: 225.771.2231 FAX: 225.771.5840 ONLINE @ www.southerndigest.com
STUDENT MEDIA OFFICE
Director....................................................... TBA Publications Asst..................Fredrick Batiste Business Manager..............Camelia Jackson
CONTACTS (area code 225)
Student Media Newsroom............771.2231 Advertising Office.......................... 771.5833 Student Media Services.................771.5812
FALL 2011 STAFF
Editor-in-Chief.............................. Evan Taylor Managing Editor....................................... TBA Copy Editor................... Norman J. Doston Jr. Photo Editor............................... Trevor James Staff Writer............................... Christie Carral Staff Writer................................Morris Dillard Staff Writer............................ Lauren Johnson Staff Writer.......................... Torrance Latham Staff Writer................................. Breanna Paul Staff Writer....................................... Sam Ross Staff Writer........................... Samantha Smith Staff Writer.......................... Billy Washington Staff Photographer.......................Talor Kinzy Staff Photographer....................Keldric Nash
SUBMISSIONS POLICY
The Southern DIGEST welcomes letters from readers commenting on current issues and other matters of general interest to the SU family and public. We set aside this space to publish these letters for others to enjoy. This newspaper is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on its editorial and opinion pages. The Southern DIGEST reserves the right to edit any contributions and or reject them without notification. Authors are encouraged to limit the length of submissions to 300 words. Letters should not include libelous statements. Offensive and personal attacks will not be permitted. The DIGEST will not print “open letters” addressed to someone else. All contributions must be type written, signed and must include the author’s address and phone number. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Southern University students should include their majors, hometowns and year in school. When referring to specific DIGEST articles, please include the date and title. All materials should be directed to the editor in chief of The Southern DIGEST, P.O. Box 10180, Baton Rouge, La. 70813. Materials may be delivered by hand to the DIGEST office located in Suite 1064 Harris Hall or can be e-mailed to digest@subr.edu.
According to the Society for Professional Journalists, an ethical journalist is to seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable. This code of ethics is used to recognize those who report on as humans, be the watchdog for the public, and be held accountable for unethical and useless content. A great reporter works to bring the audience a story free of bias and ultimately where they don’t become a part of the story. Due to the thin line between unethical and ethical, journalists are becoming more newsworthy than the news itself; falsifying information, misquoting, and just not doing their due diligence. With unethical and ethical journalists working together it has become harder and harder to know where to turn for your news and who to trust. The Southern Digest, EGO Magazine, and The Jaguar Yearbook are press/media organizations. Our jobs are to tell the stories that concern the Southern University community. This includes the students, faculty, staff, area community and alumni community. Our organization has never been — and will never be — a place to play, to attack, or to determine the fate of Southern University. We are here to seek the truth and report it; the good, the bad and the ugly. Just as any other media
Evan Taylor organization or job, you learn and gain valuable experience to take into your next job and your next stage of life. The Office of Student Media has never been a laboratory to experiment with the powers of the administration, faculty or students. This is a real-world transition from being only accountable to yourself and becoming accountable as a team and a publication. We are trained young professionals who also balance classes, other jobs and life. Our jobs have never been simple or easy to explain. We wear many hats as future media professionals, future photographers, future engineers, future doctors, future lawyers and future teachers. We not only carry the burdens of full-time and part-time students, but also of a profession that others are quick to judge and criticize. We try not to shine false light on the
issues and concerns of the Southern University community no matter how large or how small. We ask some of the toughest questions and get some of the most important answers. Our office is and was the home of great media professionals who have grown inside this office and through their experiences. They received the training and exposure they needed to apply the techniques and education they acquired in the classroom. Without the Office of Student Media and its accomplishments and efforts, Southern University would not be home to a consecutive award winning publication staff. If there is anything, that is in question concerning the journalists that work for The Office of Student Media it is when and how the next year’s staff will perform and what opportunities their involvement will place in front of them. The Office of Student Media is a way to keep your foot in the door. The Southern University degree gets you in the door, the experience during and after your college career keeps you there. The editors before me and hopefully after will continue to offer the opportunity for all students to get published, work as a team, gain work experience, be held accountable, compete in this global economy and be compensated for their work; as the world outside this university works.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the opinions of the author and the majority opinion of the Southern DIGEST Student Editorial Board, which is comprised of the student staff of editors and columnists. The Southern DIGEST provides an open forum to educate, inform and enlighten the students, faculty and staff at Southern University, Baton Rouge, La.
PUBLICATION ASSOCIATIONS
The Southern DIGEST is a member of the Black College Communications Association (BCCA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), University Wire Network (U-Wire), Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Advisers Association (CMA), Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Full member of the Associated Press (AP) and the Louisiana Press Association (LPA).
ADVERTISER MEMBERSHIPS
The Southern DIGEST subscribes to the American Passage, Alloy M+M, 360 Youth, Zim2Papers, All Campus Media, Ruxton Group and College Publishers On-Line services.
The Office of Student Media is a division of the Office of Student Affairs.
get online @
www.southerndigest.com