A fellow journalist once told me everyone has the right to speak, but no one has the right to be heard. Another said talk is easy, free speech isn’t. So if the First Amendment is something we as Americans pride ourselves on, why is it that not everyone has the right to be heard? Well, simply, in newspaper terms, there just isn’t enough space or time. So who decides who gets the luxury of being heard? And does this privilege need to be earned? If it’s a privilege, then I guess by the sheer definition of the word, the answer is “yes.”

Newspaper staffs answer this question every day. And, believe it or not, quite the thought process goes into the debate and the end decision that will likely enrage at least one person on the oh-so-eccentric University of Wisconsin campus each and every day. Don’t get me wrong; I love the quirks of Madison, but someone will scream and yell no matter what. And, I must say, it’s not a bad thing. Whether it’s the leftist socialist, the radical religious right, the freshman or the tenured professor, someone will be outraged or bewildered. Someone somewhere will disagree. Shocking? No. Great for debate? Yes.

The aspects of timeliness, news value, target audience and relevance are all considered, and it’s a constant seesaw battle. In a town littered with radicals, protests and, these days … scandals, it’s not hard to predict what will grace the front pages of the city’s newspapers. We all know what sells, and it is sex, scandal, booze and violence. Without fail, UW has provided local media all of these topics this summer to report on. But, still, does that mean one doesn’t have the right to question? Of course not.

Now, let me introduce myself. A Herald alum educated — and rather well versed — in Madison’s local media, having worked at The Capital Times and Isthmus, I’ve taken it upon myself to give everyone a chance to be heard. Granted, it’s my e-mail account and my voicemail that will stand as the ear that listens. But it’s an open, assured venue to vent — and an open, assured venue that will hopefully keep editors of every section of The Badger Herald on their toes. There are already two local newspapers and three other student newspapers to do the trick, but why not take it one step further? I’m here as a past Herald editor in chief, local freelancer and UW senior to critique the Herald’s pages for a semester. I will strive to be a voice for the enraged, outraged and occasionally complimentary.

Not everyone will receive a slot of the news hole or a column on the opinion page, but you, the readers of The Badger Herald, have a voice that is not heard nearly as often as it should be. Stop getting drowned out by the vocal and the obnoxious. Step up to the plate and speak your mind. It’s time for those who haven’t been heard to be heard.

Every week this column will appear on Thursday to critique and comment on the goings-on of The Badger Herald and the city of Madison. Biased reporting? I’ll talk about it. Scandalous advertising? Let’s discuss. A racist column? Maybe it did cross the line.

College papers are learning experiences and launching pads for the real world. Filled with aspiring, wide-eyed journalists, mistakes are made daily. It’s the life of a daily — and, for the record, any daily makes these mistakes (I found a grammatical error in The New York Times last week). It happens to the best of us. This column will not be used as a nitpicking device but rather a communication and bettering tool for the students who fill the Herald office.

The airwaves are officially open; [email protected] is accepting e-mails and 257.4712 x 168 is waiting for a ring. It’s your turn to be heard, so speak up. As with any ombudsman or public editor, my term is limited. For your reference and mine, when winter break comes, I’m gone. So what’s there to lose? I’ve been hired for one semester; then I head to Europe. This is my way of saying there are no ulterior motives. Just pure, slightly filtered critique.

Cristina Daglas ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism.