'Stater' door is always open
Written by Administrator Monday, 28 August 2006 06:00
Story by: Meranda Watling
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet the heads of several student organizations at the annual student leader retreat.
The day's activities included a time for members of each organization to stand and discuss their goals for the year.
I was interested in hearing what the other groups had to say. As the editor of the student newspaper, I care a great deal about what other groups are doing, especially those who dole out student money or who are the biggest spenders.
When it was my turn to discuss my goals for the Daily Kent Stater, I knew what to expect. And I knew before I ever introduced myself there'd be questions.
After discussing the exciting features we are adding to StaterOnline.com; the beefed up, more frequent calendars we'll be running; and our refreshed push for student-oriented content, I was inundated with questions.
"Why don't you cover our events more?"
"Why do you write editorials that bash us without giving us a heads up?"
"How can a story get through with an incorrect fact, a grammar mistake, a misspelled word?"
Ann Gosky, associate director of the Center for Student Involvement, tried several times to cut the questioning short. I didn't want her to.
I want to know what's on the minds of students at Kent State. I want to know if a source feels we got the facts wrong. And I want to know if we dropped the ball as well as how we can fix it.
Just as when I was standing in front of the student leaders last week answering questions, I want to be as transparent and accessible as possible with Stater readers this semester. So if you have a question or concern, send me an e-mail, stop by the newsroom or give me a call. I want to know what's on your mind.
One of the things I run into most frequently when people learn I work at the Stater is that nobody really understands who we are or how we work.
We are your newspaper. Whether that "you" is a student, a faculty member or an alum reading online, we aim to present the information we believe you need to be an informed citizen. That information might deal with making healthy life decisions or knowing how your tuition money is spent, or it could just be who won the football game or what's going on this weekend.
The Stater is staffed by more than 100 students. The key word there is students.
We change staff three times each year. That means everybody has the opportunity to try his or her hand at many different jobs. However, it also means that we are always learning our positions.
Each day is a learning experience for us.
Although we strive to make the Stater as professional as possible, the truth is sometimes we'll make mistakes. The thing about mistakes is that they are always a learning opportunity. Even the New York Times runs corrections, and they've got decades of experience on us.
So let us know what you like and don't like, what we did well and what we could have done better.
We promise to keep you informed. I hope you'll return the favor.
Meranda Watling is a senior newspaper journalism major and editor of the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.