College newspapers are faced with striking a balance between both professionalism and the temptation of humor usage. The students that comprise The Badger Herald staff have strived over the past few years (that's all I can truly speak to) to present their work in the most mature of fashions while also having a bit of fun.
This past week, there were a number of hard news stories (think state Legislature) as well as a few articles and photos in anticipation of last Friday's rivalry football game between the two campus dailies. These certain articles and pictures could be construed as a display of poor sportsmanship, inappropriate or unprofessional but I haven't heard a complaint yet. And I'm not complaining either. I'm all for a good laugh as often as possible.
College papers are charged with appealing to their audience — an eccentric, young and vibrant group of thousands of students. And humor is often a way to keep students interested (think shout-outs).
As the Herald attempts to engage students on a daily basis, editors open up web space for dialogue. As many of you know, anyone can comment on an opinion piece either anonymously or with identification at www.badgerherald.com.
More than a year ago, the Herald had a different website and thus a different commenting system. Online feedback was steady and sometimes harsh, but never as brutal as it would become during the 2004-05 academic year. Due to the brutality, feedback became limited to opinion pieces; it was previously open and encouraged on all articles in every section. Months passed and harsh, unbelievably off-topic comments continued.
With problems still persisting, another filter was instilled this year leaving editors to personally approve every comment submitted. Imagine the time commitment and internal struggle of censorship when the "decline" button is pushed. Take it from someone who knows: it is a mentally draining task.
Because of the now inherent delay in posting a comment and seeing it appear on the site, statements have started appearing criticizing the new system Herald staffers are forced to use.
And why must this system be used? Because a few twenty-somethings on the University of Wisconsin campus find fun in tearing apart those brave enough to voice opinions in a student publication. I must disclose that I've been party to much criticism in my day but feel privileged to have avoided many of the harshest comments I've read.
As the editor in chief of the Herald last year, one of my most intense headaches became dealing with the drama that was online commenting. Journalists (especially college journalists) make mistakes, twenty-somethings often have radical views and students are the first to speak their minds in response to these views.
As the current academic year flies into its second month, online commenting is still one of my biggest headaches. And now as the ombudsman, I'm using my privilege to serve as a mediator between the paper and its readers to address this topic. As this mediator, I'm on my hands and knees begging for change.
Have we become a society solely capable of criticism and completely inept at giving compliments? And apart from society as a whole, are twenty-somethings so stuck in a state of perpetual immaturity as to immediately criticize say a woman for her looks or her ideologies?
We live in a city drastically separated by political views. What you classify as might as well be branded on your forehead because if you throw out progressive views, a conservative will jump on your back before reading them … and vice versa. No one seems to pay attention to the argument but rather jumps all over the individual because of what label he or she has attached to their person.
One of my favorite comments from the week was this: "Just curious, do you actually think for yourself or just regurgitate the conservative arguments I made when I was 7? You really give conservatives a bad name. The fact that you somehow managed to get into graduate school makes me wonder at the quality of UW as an institution."
To the writer of this comment: if you're irritated with the column, write something constructive. Please keep adding to the discourse, but please be productive in the dialogue you and we are hoping to foster on the site.
I hope that in the near future commenting can be reopened to all articles and dialogue can become productive.
For three years I've wanted to address this, and now I have. I can't wait to see the online feedback on this one. Cabbage Patch comments anyone?
Cristina Daglas, former editor in chief of The Badger Herald, is now the paper's ombudsman. Readers are encouraged to e-mail thoughts, criticisms and observations of the paper to [email protected] or call her at (608) 257-4712 ext. 168. Her column will appear every Thursday on this page.
