We realize that we will not be universally liked by everyone at Ohio University. That’s not our job. But we’re also exceptionally proud of the work we do, and we’re going to keep doing it by soliciting reader feedback and using it to improve our coverage every day.
An 18-month old tweet flashed across my computer screen Wednesday night, having resurfaced in the wake of “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon’s unexpected death earlier that day.
Simon, in one of 12 tweets he had ever written, passed this wisdom on to his followers: “If you want to be loved, journalism is a poor career choice.”
I find his advice to be especially salient now, when it seems that many people on Ohio University’s campus have some sort of problem with journalism — particularly The Post’s contributions to the trade.
Critics speak louder than supporters, so the saying goes; readers are generally less compelled to go out of their way to tell you they enjoy your work, than they are to point out what they perceive as its flaws.
There’s no way to please everyone — the right, the left, the people who think you’re so far gone that there’s no saving you — and no way to get everything right every time.
But I would like to use this space to clarify for readers what The Post is and is not.
The Post is a daily publication that is editorially independent of Ohio University and staffed by roughly 75 students. It has been continually publishing for more than 100 years and is steeped in tradition, not unlike the university community it serves. Its mission is to even-handedly inform its audience about the happenings on campus, in Athens and to serve as a training ground for its student employees.
The Post is not a propagandist publisher that has the ambition of silencing student opinion; rather, it regularly solicits input from readers. The Post does not stand in opposition of individual students, groups or the university at large; rather, its reporters and editors cover news with a critical eye no matter the subject. The Post will not bow to the notion that it is fundamentally intolerant in any way; the publication will continue to strive for sensitivity in reporting on all topics.
I’ll cut to the chase: The Post screws up more often than we would like to admit. We have misspelled names, mislabeled photos and published incorrect information under my leadership.
But we are a reliable source of news, and the fact that readers call us out when we’re wrong means they’re holding us to a professional standard. This is a good thing.
We realize that we will not be universally liked by everyone at Ohio University. That’s not our job. But we’re also exceptionally proud of the work we do, and we’re going to keep doing it by soliciting reader feedback and using it to improve our coverage every day.
As always, thanks for reading.
Jim Ryan is a senior studying journalism and political science and editor-in-chief of The Post. Think The Post does a good job? Think he’s leading the publication into the ground? Contact him at jr992810@ohio.edu or on Twitter at @Jimryan015.
