It's time for the Daily Collegian to stop publishing irrelevant activity involving football players. I am disgusted at the coverage of Tuesday's "incident," which foolishly made it to the front page of the Collegian Wednesday. I understand Collegian staff members are doing their jobs, but if information is unclear/absent- what is there to write? Classes in my major have always enforced the journalistic code of ethics. Amid this code, according to the Society of Professional Journalists, seeking the truth and reporting it, minimizing harm and being accountable are all cornerstones of reporting -- all of which were infringed upon by the Collegian.
Publishing an individual's information, when there is only speculation, is tasteless. It produces a culture of gossip. This is not PerezHilton.com, these are people's lives. A summary of observations is by no means the truth. A directory search is inadequate investigation for a cover story. And if the byline of the article is only "Collegian Staff Writers," accountability is non-existent. It infuriates me to notice how quick the Collegian is to blacken the name of a football player, with no/little evidence, yet expect interviews for the sports section. You cannot just use these gentlemen, they are people too.
Stephanie Raposo
senior-journalism
