Middle States report leads to Loquitur changes

SHAWN RICE

SMR723@CABRINI EDU GUESTWRITER

T he Loquitur’s publishing process has been restructured, creating a delay in its online service to the Cabrini community. The print version of the newspaper is now to be reviewed by the administration for any errors a week prior to it being available onits website.

The decision came in response tocomments made by the Middle States Evaluation Team concerning the legal exposure the college faces because of its relationship with the newspaper. Since the newspaper is an academic course and is dependent on the college, over the summer Dr. Zurek, President Iadarola and Dr. Guerra met to discuss changes to prevent any possible future legal issues.

“Because the newspaper is available by subscription as well as on the web, such a relationship may increase the college’s level of risk. We also found it difficult to see how the newspaper can be true to its mission as a studentrun newspaper when the work of the student writers is used as part ofalaboratory class,” according to a reported filed by the Middle States Evaluation Team. No examples were cited by the Middle States Evaluation Team in regards to any past articles that made have led to a potential legal problem.

“As a result of the meeting, I proposed several new safeguards to increase the accuracy of reporting and to heighten reporters’and editors’awareness of the consequences of their reporting,” Dr. Zurek, adviser to the Loquitur, said.

The most visible addition to the print version is a tagline appearing at the end of stories that reads: “Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: L oquitur@yahoogroups.com.

The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.”

Andrew Matysik, editor in chief of the Loquitur, said, “I think the little blurb on the end should be put somewhere once in the paper, and that’s it. There is no need to put it at the end of every single story. People aren’t dumb. They know they can contact us with corrections and we will correct them.”

The department is also establishing an advisory panel of top media professionals to help it move up to the next level of excellence as it expands its new convergence curriculum. The Loquitur will also have a campus feedback panel meet with its editors periodically to provide suggestions on improving reporting on all aspects of campus activities and issues.

The fact remains that the new process has created a stall in its availability to its online audience. When a new issue is released, last week’s issue is just being uploaded online for its readers. This has produced a difficulty for the editors to find timely articles for both its print and web editions.

“ Ithas definitely hurt the paper’s readership and purpose. Ihave had readers confront editors, saying that we messed up our web edition because it is late. One purpose of a paper is timeliness. If ‘news’comes to readers delayed, it does not have the same effect on them,” Maria D’Alessandro, the Loquitur managing editor, said.

In editorial meetings, the edit ors now discuss corrections needed for each past issue to ensure reliable coverage for its web edition. As a result of this practice two out of the approximately 50 stories published so far have been found to have errors. Corrections to these articles were promptly made and published to the web edition.

An editor speaking on anonymity said, “I think that Iadarola is trying to suppress our freedom of speech.She wants to try and control what goes into the paper so that she will look good.

If she cared about the English and communication department she would let Dr. Zurek advise the paper like he always has and would not try to take away a majority of our readership.”

Zurek said, “No college administrator in my 34 years advising Loquitur has ever censored Loquitur. Students should realize that many administrators at other universities often censor the student newspaper, but that this has never happened here.”

Itis to be noted that neither President Iadarola or Dr. Guerra would comment on questions presented to them by this reporter.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com .

The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.