Talkback
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It was a Jungian moment of synchronicity to see this programme last night... I'm a member of a women's journalism peer association, and not two weeks ago I was embroiled in a rather heated listserv discussion about this very issue - what is news and how should it be reported? A couple of debaters thought this was a tired old topic...I'm 49...its a perennial issue and as the culture and world keeps changing, finding the answer to that question doesnt get any easier...
Cheers and good luck to you all as you follow your dreams. May you fulfil your desire to add to the greater good. Namaste
I was able to catch this documentary and found it fascinating! I am a graduate of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA and returned to school as an older student only to find that I enjoy and can get paid to write, thanks to a broadcast journalism class. I write freelance for a small weekly newspaper that puts out the same number of papers each week the Collegian puts out each day. I found this documentary to be thought-provoking. It shows how news is 'made' and not 'happens' in a sense. Events happen, but the press is responsible to make the events public to promote dialog and encourage change. Thanks for a wonderful program!
I worked on the Collegian as photo editor back in the 60s. The young journalists shown in The Paper make me proud of what my wonderful college daily has become. They're putting their hearts into the job of informing the campus community. So my message to the Collegian staff is to never give up fighting to get the story. You won't win every time, but when you do there's nothing like it.
As a PSU alum, I am so frustrated with so much press about the football team. This story was amazing and made me proud to be an alum. If only I was as bright as these young, empassioned people. In news we see reporting after the fact. This documentary allowed us to see the events that lead up to the storm. I was transfixed. What a great pre Christmas gift.
Ben Hughes
Punxsutawney PA
I just happened to catch this on PBS after finishing my last exam and was completely captivated by the story. As an Editor-in-Chief myself, I could relate with so many of the problems and possibilities of running a college newspaper. There were things that I loved and will be passing along to my staff as I push them to even bigger things in the spring, and there were things that troubled me that I think anyone in the industry can learn from. Congratulations on a great film and I would love to get my hands on a copy for my staff to share in the years to come.
This was an excellent documentary! I really enjoyed seeing, John Harvey, one of my college mentors go at it again with the candidate staff. I used to write for the Collegian's Arts Beat. For the most part the editors and reporters exercise sound judgement and ethics. Watching the film helped me feel like I was back in the newsroom again with the same ambition, curiosity, and dogged enthusiasm special to new reporters. I would ask the public remain mindful that as far as the paper appearing to have any baises is concerned, not to judge college students too harshly as they are not yet professionals. However the fact the paper is currently judged by such high standards speaks definite volumes.
I graduated with a B.A. in journalism last year and this took me back to all of the experiences I had working for two college newspapers. It was right on the money and I'm glad someone put this together.
It's exam week -- not a very good time to get any buzz going among students. Here's hoping the program will be rerun in the middle of a semester. (And not during spring break, either.)
In fact, my local station is putting a holiday special in Independent Lens's time slot... but I'm hoping to tape the only non-cable/non-digital local rebroadcast, at 4 a.m. Sunday.
In any case, it sounds like a great project, even if someone decided to give it the same name as Ron Howard's fictional film about a New York tabloid -- which I also recommend to students.
I just finished watching the Independent Lens documentary about your University newspaper and it took me back to my roots in journalism. I am a former campus newspaper editor at a time when President Carter was in office and the American hostage crisis was international news.
Everything that these young people faced in deciding how to approach a story, which letters and editorials should run, and how to increase readership are very familiar experiences to me.
I challenged an administration’s failure to release public information in Utah and quickly understood the price for defending the public’s right to know. My journalism experience after college eventually led me into federal service where upholding ethics and disclosing public information are daily battles with each passing administration.
I applauded the editors, reporters in the program I watched for their courage to explore areas that are unpopular in the defense of a free press. I encourage you all to continue to take your experience and apply it directly to every facet of your chosen career. But if you do decide to remain in journalism, I hope you will always consider that ethics, honesty, and truth are the pillars that hold up the Fourth Estate.
From what I watched on Independent Lens, I can tell that there is hope after all for journalism and the First Amendment in America
After viewing the program I can't help thinking the film could have been 10 minutes shorter if you deleted the word "LIKE". Robert O'Neill
Aiken, SC
I have been reading the Collegian for years, and prefer it the local paper. I have always been impress with the hard work and difficult conditions these students subject themselves to on a daily basis. No paper is perfect and the Collegian staff makes no apologies for their inexperience. They persevere and continue to publish as they learn the trade.
The publication of the kiss and the letter was a very risky decision, and one of the highlights of the paper’s recent history. The controversy and subsequent dialog had to be one of the more memorable events on campus. I only wish the film makers would have mentioned the photographer. There is more to news than the written word.
Jonathan
I thought it was interesting and very well put together piece. However, i found that it carried the same biases trained and not corrected there that we see in the failing newspaper journalist industry in society. I find it sad that fairly educated university students cant make the link of bias in their news reporting and at the same time cant see equality of race linked with homophobia.
when and where are people going to learn and grow up?
This was a fantastic piece. As a newspaper adviser at the high school level, this is exactly the film I needed my students to see. We struggle with so many of the same issues. It is nice to see journalism alive and somewhat well at the collegiate level. Truly a meaningful documentary that will hopefully be viewed by high school journalism students across the nation.
I can't wait to see the premier tonight. It will rekindle great memories from years past. Congratulations Aaron, you couldn't have picked a better school or newspaper. But, I do think you should have captured the Business Division's financial prowess that gives the writers the ability to produce such fine articles:)
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