The students: The Argonaut’s most crucial demographic.
The Argonaut has lived by the words, “For, of and by the students since 1898.” We exist because of you — the students. But we also exist outside the influence of the university.
No matter what leadership or influx of new reporters comes through our office, we will continue to abide by that mantra for as long as this publication remains.
However, the best way for us to carry out this mission is to diligently listen to feedback from our readers.
This past week, we’ve heard wide ranging criticism of this publication, from student government, the Greek community and Moscow as a whole. This feedback, something we greatly value from all our readers, brought to our attention a need to clarify what exactly The Argonaut does, why we do it and how we do it.
Our fully student-run paper aims to inform both the Moscow community and UI student-body, faculty and staff. We seek to report on what our readers will find engaging, newsworthy and important.
This practice is not always easy, as it often means stepping on some toes in pursuit of the truth. It entails asking the tough questions — questions many people might not want to answer. We do not operate with malicious intent and do our best to treat UI’s diverse group of students with respect.
This is not to say mistakes won’t happen. As seen in the larger national media landscape, no one is safe from the occasional slip up. And when mistakes are made, when there is a serious breach of trust between this publication and its audience, we will apologize. We will make corrections, right the wrongs and work to get better.
The Argonaut, like the many college newspapers across the country, is not just a place for journalism. It’s a place for learning. As our motto states, we are of and by students as well. Our office, for our staff of nearly 40 students, serves as a workshop to hone their journalistic and storytelling skills. This process takes time.
There’s no better example of this than The Argonaut’s recent coverage of administrative action taken against two Greek chapters earlier this semester. While the story seemed simple and straightforward on its surface, the reporting required to compile the necessary information for publication took many hours, phone calls and requests for public records that likely disgruntled many in both the UI administration and Greek community.
Our reporters did the job they needed to do and published a story that would have otherwise not been told. It angered many, understandably, and we heard those complaints loud and clear.
We pursued this story, as we do all stories, because it greatly pertains to the well-being of the UI student community. The decision to report the story followed long discussions among our editors on what qualifies as pertinent news.
So just as national media outlets adapt and change based on reader feedback, expect The Argonaut to do the same. Next semester, we will strive to strengthen the divide between news and opinion with clear signals to our readers on what exactly our content entails.
We will continue to be open and honest with our reporting, with a greater attention to detail and accuracy.
So thank you for your feedback, and thank you for reading. We’ll continue to listen, act and report to the best of our ability.
— BH, HS