As aspiring professionals, we often get caught up in the angst of our own organization.
We surround ourselves with like-minded people and work hard to achieve the goals we set not only for ourselves but also for those working with us. We try to do well, to make The University of Memphis better, to make ourselves proud of the legacy we leave behind.
In the case of The Daily Helmsman, we work hard to make our peers the center of our news coverage. We investigate their complaints and try to hold administrators accountable. We report crime and good works. We try to balance our news coverage as best we can.
We're not perfect, but we try.
As editor-in-chief, it's my responsibility to see these ambitions through, day in and day out. I field phone calls from my staffers about story ideas, breaking news events, photo opportunities and internal issues at all hours. I come in around 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and leave later than 1 a.m. most of those nights. I walk home alone in the dark, long after most of our 22,000 students have gone to bed. I learned how to post all our content on our website, dailyhelmsman.com, on my own at no additional charge.
I decided three years ago that I wanted the editor position bad enough to work for it, so by the time I took over this May, the hours and dedication required for my position no longer mattered. It wasn't a sacrifice of time or a social life. It was the beginning of my future.
I receive a minimal salary — less than minimum wage — for these efforts. I would do it for free.
During my nine semesters at the newspaper, I've covered snippets of everything, but I've found no subject more frivolous than the inner workings of the Student Government Association.
Thursday night, SGA President Hunter Lang took the easy way out.
He accused The Daily Helmsman of something most politicians love to harp about.
"There's an old saying," he said. "If it bleeds, it leads. I can tell you with confidence that the media today lives by that motto. … It's a shame that's how it has to be at this University, but I find it hard to believe they would pull in readers otherwise."
You're right, Hunter. The misgivings of others, politicians or otherwise, are certainly something to report.
So let's test your theory. In the past year, The Daily Helmsman has published 674 stories in 116 issues. By my own count, that includes 186 negative stories, including deaths, scandals, bad weather, Tiger losses, criminal activity and lost funding for a plethora of departments and organizations. With our remaining 488 we pulled in pieces about RSOs and Greek philanthropies, student and faculty profiles, research, awards, grants, opening ceremonies, graduations and trends.
I'm no math whiz, but that's approximately 62 percent positive. Maybe you should read the paper more closely.
After the publication of two in a series of three articles this week by sophomore news reporter Chelsea Boozer, with the final story on today's front page, Lang personally invited a Helmsman reporter to sit in on the SGA's weekly Thursday night meeting.
Boozer was game, so I decided to tag along.
He greeted us warmly at the door, complimenting her scarf before taking a seat next to SGA Vice President K'La Harrington. Lang's friendly demeanor dropped there.
"If you attack me on the front page of the newspaper, don't think I won't respond at my own senate meeting," he said at the podium, his right hand draped across a brick-red tie.
In his presidential report, he listed off events and accomplishments, both large and small, that he said "The Helmsman has not and will not report on."
Again, Hunter, let's check this out, point by point:
• The SGA successfully lobbied for a refund for remaining declining balance dollars. The Helmsman began coverage of this issue Sept. 29, 2009 and continued with editorials throughout the spring semester.
• The SGA extended study hours during finals week at the Ned. R. McWherter Library. We reported the problem in a March 30 issue; however, the change in policy occurred after the close of our spring publication schedule. We still tweeted it.
• The SGA saved 50 percent of students' allotted 2,000 seats at FedExForum for men's basketball games from being sold to the public at large. Check Sept. 22, front page, above the fold.
• The SGA posted its budget, agendas, meeting minutes, travel bills, senate bills, senator attendance and scholarships to its website. During his campaign, Lang said this would be one of the first acts he took as the leader of a "transparent SGA." In a Sept. 22 issue of The Helmsman, he again said it was at the top of his list. Following a meeting with Helmsman editors and Boozer, the documents were added to the site Nov. 22. Congratulations. It only took you eight months.
• The SGA, for the second consecutive year, saw one of its former senators elected as governor of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature. The event was both held and reported last week. See the Nov. 24 issue.
• The SGA kept Frosh Camp covered under its budget. I'm sure a few copies of Wednesday's paper are still floating around the recycle bins. Check it out.
• The SGA executive board restructured Frosh Council into the Freshmen Senate, which Lang said has the largest membership ever at 55. This, along with a few lesser notations, we haven't reported, but thanks for the heads up. We'll get to them shortly, I promise.
How's that for transparency?
