A message from the staff
Free Flow
To our readers,
Over the past 30 years, the Spinnaker has worked to keep you informed about issues and actions on campus and across the state that affect you. Fee increases, new majors, parking issues, new buildings and facilities, the future of the
university, crime on campus, Student Government and university administration decisions - all these and more have been reported to you.
However, our mission to keep you informed and aware of what is happening with your money, your university and your fellow students has been impeded on many occasions. We are often denied access to information because university sources don't want us to report on it, such was the case of the student suicide that occurred on campus earlier this year, or cases of misconduct by Greek Life members and more.
As the official student newspaper of the University of North Florida, our duty is to report the facts and the facts only. Whether those facts reflect well or poorly on the university, an
organization or and individual doesn't matter - we report them either way.
It is our job to keep you informed, and that's what we attempt to do. However, sometimes those attempts are unsuccessful because students, administrators, faculty or staff avoid answering our questions or giving us information.
The Spinnaker recently requested election
violation documents from Student Government. Through multiple verbal agreements over the course of several weeks, we were told the
information would be released. When we tried to retrieve the documents, we were denied because we had not informed the SG adviser of
our request.
Days later, when we finally received the
documents, they were incomplete.
Student Government deliberately withheld key documents regarding the major violations that had been filed (and upheld) against current Senate President A.J. Souto for verbally assaulting two people during elections. We were not told of the omission. The documents are important because
they directly impact who will be sworn in as next year's student body president and vice president.
When we questioned the omission, we were told the violations had been referred to student conduct and the documents are no longer public record. The documents were public records when we requested them and both times when we were supposed to receive them.
The current situation is the most alarming case we've encountered, and sets a chilling precedent of individuals selectively releasing information and failing to tell us.
We want to make you aware of this situation because when we are denied information, you are denied information. Each time an individual or an organization deems it unnecessary to explain their actions to the media, they deem it unnecessary to explain their actions to the public, ostensibly the very people they are supposed to be serving. By withholding documents and then selectively releasing some of them, people hinder the media's mission. But more importantly, they
disrespect you.
Government officials on any level - national, state or local - are elected by the people and are therefore accountable to the people. But without the free flow of information and laws protecting the public's right to know, this check and
balance relationship cannot exist.
Freedom of the press and freedom of
information are protected by law because
without those laws, those freedoms would not exist. Time and time again, information is restricted, withheld and manipulated to serve the
interests of a select few. A journalist's job is to report what is happening, not just what
people in positions of power want you to know.
Newspapers and other media all over the world fight censorship and prior restraint
everyday to fulfill their duty to allow you, their readers, to make informed decisions.
And we at the Spinnaker will continue to serve you to the best of our abilities and fight for your right to know what is happening on your campus and why.
|
Jenna Strom Editor in Chief |
Robert Pietrzyk Art Director |
Adina Daar Business Manager |
Ace Stryker Production Manager |
Kristen Montalto Advertising Manager |
Joshua Stewart Media Adviser |
|
Tami Livingston News Editor |
Matt Coleman Features Editor |
Holli Welch Sports Editor |
Emily Bruce Copy Editor |
Rebecca Daly Photo Editor |
Meghan Dornbrock Web Editor |
|
Jen Quinn Graphic Designer |
Sarah Diener Assistant News |
Ross Brooks Assistant Features |
Jamie Williams Staff Writer |
Laurel Wright Staff Writer |
Jason Strickland Distributor |
| The following individuals have read and approve the above statement: | |||||
|
Eric C. Williams Professor, University of North Florida |
Cynthia Barnett Associate Editor, Florida Trend Magazine |
Mike Hiestand Legal Consultant, Student Press Law Center |
Robert Orndoff Station Manager, Osprey TV |
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Editor's note: The preceding is an editorial statement from the Spinnaker staff. We have chosen to run it on the front page because we feel this issue deserves the most prominent recognition, as it directly affects our ability to report the facts in their entirety to you.
Contact the staff at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE