2008 Woodie Awards
EDITORIALS
Issue date: 2/23/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
Loss of SJR is loss for students
With tons of college and universities worldwide, Webster is just another spec on the map. But thanks to campuses spread across the globe, Webster is making a name for itself. But so is Webster's journalism program, with the help of the St. Louis Journalism Review. With a critical media outlet on campus, students learn more about the "real world" and real journalism than could be taught in a classroom alone. SJR reaches out to the budding journalists at Webster and teaches them how to be critical of their own work as well as others. And students don't have to travel great lengths to obtain a copy.
SJR benefits more than just journalists. While the main focus of the publication is critiquing the media, SJR also covers a vast array of topics and obtains a variety of opinions for its pages. Members of the campus community, as well as the local Webster-Kirkwood area have picked up a copy, in addition to those scattered across the United States at prominent university campuses.
Society needs more media watchdogs. SJR is the last journalism review to be focused on a metropolitan area in the United States and Webster University is lucky SJR made its home on Webster's campus. That's something those studying at the University of Missouri - Columbia don't have. The Columbia Journalism Review made its home on the campus of Columbia University in New York while the American Journalism Review resides at the University of Maryland.
While SJR may benefit from an online version, the heart and soul of the publication lives and breathes through the pages of its print edition. A computer screen doesn't compare to the feeling of holding the newest issue of SJR in your hands, turning the crisp pages, eager to read the next story or letter to the editor. Even after you've finished reading an issue, a part of SJR lingers with you - whether it's the newsprint left on your fingers or the quality journalism you've just read. You just can't get all that from a computer.
We understand the need for budget cuts - especially the cutting of an investment that hasn't made any money for the university. Sure, it makes sense from an economic standpoint; the university should seriously consider what the repercussions are for such a cut. Pulling support from SJR may help loosen the purse strings, but as the saying goes, "you don't what you've got till it's gone." Let's just hope the students, community and dedicated SJR readers won't be forced to find out the hard way.
A little sunshine would be good for MOHELA
Governor Matt Blunt's proposal to sell the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority in order to raise funds for our cash-strapped state was an ill-thought plan. Karen Luebbert, Webster University's vice president and the chair of the MOHELA board, acted quickly to form an alternative plan to Blunt's blunt cut, and for that she and the other board members should be congratulated.
However, the board members did not give sufficient notice about the meeting they held to come up with their alternative, and while swift action was required, waiting one more day might have saved MOHELA much grief and helped to publicize their cause.
Attorney General Jay Nixon, whose job it is to investigate Sunshine Law violations, is now looking into whether MOHELA violated the law in meeting so quickly and not providing sufficient notification to the public and the press about the meeting. Certainly, had the press been notified that MOHELA was holding an emergency meeting to prevent its own destruction at the hands of the governor, reporters from across the state would have descended on MOHELA's headquarters in Chesterfield.
Certainly, the MOHELA board was placed in a difficult position by Gov. Blunt when he made a public proposal to cut the agency without discussing it with the board ahead of time. The board members couldn't take an actively hostile approach to the situation, tempting as it may have been, because that would have given Blunt all the more reason to kill the agency. But had the media been given adequate notification to cover the board meeting, the resulting press may have caused such a backlash against Blunt's proposal that the compromise now on the table, which involves selling $450 million of the agency's assets.
At a time when student benefits are being cut at the state and federal levels, it's more important than ever to preserve educational opportunities for students from all income levels. Prosecuting MOHELA for possible Sunshine Law violations may be an unfortunate, but necessary move to remind every public agency that no matter how adversarial the relationship between the government and the press can be, sometimes the media can be on their side.
With tons of college and universities worldwide, Webster is just another spec on the map. But thanks to campuses spread across the globe, Webster is making a name for itself. But so is Webster's journalism program, with the help of the St. Louis Journalism Review. With a critical media outlet on campus, students learn more about the "real world" and real journalism than could be taught in a classroom alone. SJR reaches out to the budding journalists at Webster and teaches them how to be critical of their own work as well as others. And students don't have to travel great lengths to obtain a copy.
SJR benefits more than just journalists. While the main focus of the publication is critiquing the media, SJR also covers a vast array of topics and obtains a variety of opinions for its pages. Members of the campus community, as well as the local Webster-Kirkwood area have picked up a copy, in addition to those scattered across the United States at prominent university campuses.
Society needs more media watchdogs. SJR is the last journalism review to be focused on a metropolitan area in the United States and Webster University is lucky SJR made its home on Webster's campus. That's something those studying at the University of Missouri - Columbia don't have. The Columbia Journalism Review made its home on the campus of Columbia University in New York while the American Journalism Review resides at the University of Maryland.
While SJR may benefit from an online version, the heart and soul of the publication lives and breathes through the pages of its print edition. A computer screen doesn't compare to the feeling of holding the newest issue of SJR in your hands, turning the crisp pages, eager to read the next story or letter to the editor. Even after you've finished reading an issue, a part of SJR lingers with you - whether it's the newsprint left on your fingers or the quality journalism you've just read. You just can't get all that from a computer.
We understand the need for budget cuts - especially the cutting of an investment that hasn't made any money for the university. Sure, it makes sense from an economic standpoint; the university should seriously consider what the repercussions are for such a cut. Pulling support from SJR may help loosen the purse strings, but as the saying goes, "you don't what you've got till it's gone." Let's just hope the students, community and dedicated SJR readers won't be forced to find out the hard way.
A little sunshine would be good for MOHELA
Governor Matt Blunt's proposal to sell the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority in order to raise funds for our cash-strapped state was an ill-thought plan. Karen Luebbert, Webster University's vice president and the chair of the MOHELA board, acted quickly to form an alternative plan to Blunt's blunt cut, and for that she and the other board members should be congratulated.
However, the board members did not give sufficient notice about the meeting they held to come up with their alternative, and while swift action was required, waiting one more day might have saved MOHELA much grief and helped to publicize their cause.
Attorney General Jay Nixon, whose job it is to investigate Sunshine Law violations, is now looking into whether MOHELA violated the law in meeting so quickly and not providing sufficient notification to the public and the press about the meeting. Certainly, had the press been notified that MOHELA was holding an emergency meeting to prevent its own destruction at the hands of the governor, reporters from across the state would have descended on MOHELA's headquarters in Chesterfield.
Certainly, the MOHELA board was placed in a difficult position by Gov. Blunt when he made a public proposal to cut the agency without discussing it with the board ahead of time. The board members couldn't take an actively hostile approach to the situation, tempting as it may have been, because that would have given Blunt all the more reason to kill the agency. But had the media been given adequate notification to cover the board meeting, the resulting press may have caused such a backlash against Blunt's proposal that the compromise now on the table, which involves selling $450 million of the agency's assets.
At a time when student benefits are being cut at the state and federal levels, it's more important than ever to preserve educational opportunities for students from all income levels. Prosecuting MOHELA for possible Sunshine Law violations may be an unfortunate, but necessary move to remind every public agency that no matter how adversarial the relationship between the government and the press can be, sometimes the media can be on their side.