From all-night copy editing parties to heated in-class discussions about the intricacies of AP Style, we live journalism and study life on the side.
Our print edition’s masthead reads, “The Voice of Dixie State University.” With said slogan, Dixie Sun News expects our readers to demand fair, accurate coverage. However, the ability to meet our full potential as aspiring, growing journalists requires a dialogue — both positive and negative among us and students, faculty and community members.
We cringe at the thought of misspelled headlines, and dangling clauses incite vomiting. When grammatical missteps slip past staff members and editors, they seem to swelter up, grow scales and reflect red rays of death into our eyes until next week arrives and provides a shot at redemption. But another type of error bubbles and builds under the surface until blowing holes through story ideas and anticipated interviews: inaccurate information and misquotations.
Bad experiences between past and present DSN staffers and story sources only come to fore when these miscommunications hide for so long and must be revealed weeks, sometimes years, later.
Yes, since most interviews are one-on-one, editors fail to recognize these errors like a comma splice or subject-verb disagreement. Only when people cynical about our efforts to report on campus and community happenings voice their concerns can these issues be addressed.
And because of both our continuous strides to maintain the strongest professional environment and our ever-changing staff, this communication is the only way to bring alleged misquotations or inaccurate information to the attention of us here at DSN.
Otherwise, you look at us as just students who needed to pick up a few extra credits and joined DSN with no knowledge of journalistic ethics or protocol. And we wonder why you barrage a reporter with concerns over an issue that occurred five years ago — though you weren’t angry enough to say something then.
In regards to any mishaps, whether misquotations or other mistakes, we’d like to apologize. If you’ve been misquoted, DSN is sorry, and by providing feedback, future issues can be both pinpointed earlier and prevented altogether.
So please, if you have a concern with an interview or some questionable information in an article, let us know. From the start, DSN staff members are informed of the consequences failure to be truthful and ethical have. We can’t hold ourselves accountable if you don’t do the same.
To contact us, visit our website, www.dixiesunnews.com. The “Contact Us” page provides our address, phone number and an electronic form.
