The fact that students want transparency from the university is a tired subject, and it’s one The Scout has rehashed time and time again.
Regardless, it needs to be discussed.
As journalists, our goal is to provide Bradley with unbiased articles that shed light on campus issues. But we can’t exactly do our job when the Bradley community fails to throw us the occasional bone.
Sources, interviews and quotes are imperative in writing any article, but they are often times the most difficult to pull together. Scout reporters frequently approach sources for interviews and are turned away.
Just last week, one of our reporters tried to investigate an incident in which students took wild rabbits from Olin Quad and kept them in their dorm room. We had the story confirmed by a number of anonymous sources, but our reporter was not able to get on-record interviews with anyone who was involved.
Why is this?
We are well aware of the reputation many reporters have – they are heartless, nosey and interested in the scandalous scoop instead of the people behind the news. But that’s not the case with The Scout.
Our newspaper’s is completely staffed by students. We don’t like writing about crappy campus concerns just as much as you don’t like being involved in them, and we certainly don’t find joy in extorting our own administrators or peers. But it’s our job to cover the news, whatever that may be.
With the article about the rabbits, we were not trying to scold students, RAs or anyone else involved. We were simply trying to inform students of why it’s dangerous to keep wild animals, or any animals, in the dorms.
This is not to say if there is an issue on campus, we won’t cover it. We will, because we strive to cover everything accurately and fairly; but in most cases, we are just trying to provide information and educational moments to campus.
We look to tell the most complete stories possible, and by talking to us, you give us different shades of understanding. Even if a story might be perceived as negative at first, it’s almost always less so with full participation and a great range of perspectives.
So, help us help you. Don’t be afraid to talk to us. We value your opinions and feelings, and if you have an interesting story, share it.
