Under the tenureship of Mike Duck, I watched the Elm mature into a professional, engaging publication that seemed to highlight the very best of what a college newspaper is capable of. For the past few weeks, however, I have been concerned with what I percieve to be a downturn in the professionalism of the Elm, as manifested in recent headlines. The current reportage seems to submerge cleanly written, informative stories under quirky headlines that (to this reader, anyway) are disengaging and, at times, seem to have little to do with the accompanying story. Headlines such as "Did you hear about Harry gettin' that thing removed from his thigh" and "Ever seen a Hippo waddle in a plastic jumpsuit?" not only undermine the paper's legitimacy but, in some cases, may denigrate or belittle the people about whom the stories are written.
If the Elm is indeed in the process of changing its format from a professional newspaper to a less serious publication, I think that the reasons for this should be explained to the Elm readership. In the meantime, it might be best to stick with what has worked in the past - well written, relevant stories that speak for themselves.
Dennis Wilson '01
Dear Editor,
When I returned to campus this semester (after a semester of teaching at the local high school) I eagerly grabbed the first copy of this semester's Elm, eager to be enthralled by the events of the campus. Yet, as I read the front page, I found myself confused. While the articles told of college events, the headlines were reminiscent of the National Enquirer. At first I thought I was reading the high school paper again, only with less journalistic integrity.
I thought that perhaps the edition I was reading was a fluke, maybe April Fool's Day had come early. The headlines resorted to shock value rather than focusing on what the article was actually about.
Shock value only works for a short period of time. Once the shock wears off, headlines about hippos and bodily growths portray immaturity and a lack of professionalism. As a former Elm writer and member of the Editorial Staff, I hate to see the hard work that goes into each issue of the Elm mocked and ignored because of the front page. I realize that national papers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post are written on a seventh grade reading level, but I cannot recall ever reading a headline in the Post such as "Fines are Fine with Us."
The Elm is the primary means by which faculty, staff, the President's office, the Board of Visitors and Governors, and the people of Chestertown learn about student life and student concerns. The students of this campus work hard to prove themselves to the college community. When the paper shows a lack of professionalism, it reflects on the entire student body. So I ask that the Elm rethink its shock value approach to headlines and aspire towards something which any reputable newspaper should aim for - journalistic integrity.
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