On journalistic duty: Controversy promotes discussion

Over the years, the Criterion has offended the public with some controversial opinions.

It’s because we care about our readers.

If content in this paper, especially on the opinions page, offends anyone, and they are compelled to act or react based on their feelings, that means we are doing our job. Newspapers are meant to encourage discussion about issues that affect college students, edgy or not.

It is not our job as a publication to determine what is moral. It is our job to allow the student body to openly express its opinions, even if the opinions are arguably distasteful, disagreeable or disgusting.

However, it doesn’t mean there’s an “anything goes” mentality in the newsroom.

The Criterion staff adheres to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. One of our biggest goals as journalists is to the code’s standard that journalists should  “tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly even when it is unpopular to do so.”

An unpopular opinion is still a valid one and has a right to be expressed. The second we start deciding that certain topics are off limits, we are withholding potentially useful information from the public eye.

The only things we withhold from our newspaper are libelous, harmful or obscene information.  According to the Code of Ethics, we avoid “pandering to lurid curiosity.”

It’s the Criterion’s intention to abide by the SPJ Code of Ethics, to deliver fair and accurate news and to showcase the opinions of the students, popular or not. When these perspectives compel a reaction, we consider that reaction as valid as the initial content.

It is not an intention of this newspaper to influence anyone in a specific way, only to facilitate original thought and action based upon it. We wholly welcome response to any of our content — it lets us know we’re doing our jobs right.

Categorised in: Editorial, Opinions

This post was written by critedev