Student newspapers react to media policies
Lisa Gomez
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Campus News
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At the start of the spring 2007 semester the Quinnipiac University administration instittuted a policy restricting The Chronicle Web site from being updated at any given time.
The policy stated that www.quchronicle.com can only be updated simultaneously with the hard copy. Later in 2007 another policy issued by the university's Office of Public Affairs stated that members of the administration are required to instruct any member of the media, including the university's student media, looking for an interview to send their questions to Lynn Bushnell, the vice president for public affairs, or John Morgan, the associate vice president for public affairs.
These unique policies have been criticized by The Chronicle in its opinion section, and have been defended by Quinnipiac administrators. But what do The Chronicle's peers at other institutions think about the policies? The student newspapers of other private universities in Connecticut, including Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, both in Fairfield, The University of Hartford in West Hartford, and Wesleyan University in Middletown, told The Chronicle how things are done at their respective universities.
Senior media studies major Brian Fitzsimmons, editor-in-chief of Sacred Heart University's independently run student newspaper The Spectrum, has a very clear definition of his newspaper's mission.
"The role of The Spectrum is to convey local news to the campus in a wide array of sections: News, Arts and Entertainment, Perspectives, Features and Sports," Fitzsimmons said. "It is our mission to put out a good paper that people can learn from and enjoy. Without it, the campus would be uneducated about local media,"
Senior philosophy and Italian studies major Mollie Laffin-Rose, editor-in-chief for Wesleyan University's independent student newspaper The Wesleyan Argus, has a similar definition for her newspaper's goal. "To try to report on everything from the student realm as well as the administration's realm in the most accurate and thorough manner," said Laffin-Rose.
The policy stated that www.quchronicle.com can only be updated simultaneously with the hard copy. Later in 2007 another policy issued by the university's Office of Public Affairs stated that members of the administration are required to instruct any member of the media, including the university's student media, looking for an interview to send their questions to Lynn Bushnell, the vice president for public affairs, or John Morgan, the associate vice president for public affairs.
These unique policies have been criticized by The Chronicle in its opinion section, and have been defended by Quinnipiac administrators. But what do The Chronicle's peers at other institutions think about the policies? The student newspapers of other private universities in Connecticut, including Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, both in Fairfield, The University of Hartford in West Hartford, and Wesleyan University in Middletown, told The Chronicle how things are done at their respective universities.
Senior media studies major Brian Fitzsimmons, editor-in-chief of Sacred Heart University's independently run student newspaper The Spectrum, has a very clear definition of his newspaper's mission.
"The role of The Spectrum is to convey local news to the campus in a wide array of sections: News, Arts and Entertainment, Perspectives, Features and Sports," Fitzsimmons said. "It is our mission to put out a good paper that people can learn from and enjoy. Without it, the campus would be uneducated about local media,"
Senior philosophy and Italian studies major Mollie Laffin-Rose, editor-in-chief for Wesleyan University's independent student newspaper The Wesleyan Argus, has a similar definition for her newspaper's goal. "To try to report on everything from the student realm as well as the administration's realm in the most accurate and thorough manner," said Laffin-Rose.
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