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Wespeaks:
Fixing the Argus is for Everyone

The Argus has routinely been slandered as a poor piece of journalism. It is unfortunate that the publication with the widest readership on campus has such a tragic reputation. Surprisingly, blame cannot be isolated to Argus reporters, nor can it be located in the editorial staff. After a frustrating and disappointing interaction I had with the Argus over Tuesday's front-page article on the SBC, I have come to an unsettling conclusion; the blame lies partly with those interviewed.

Over the weekend, I was contacted by an Argus reporter for an innocuous article on student budget allocations. I gave the interview on the condition that I would be able to see and correct the final draft before it went to press. He agreed to send me the article by 10 on Monday. I received the article at 1:45 in the morning and spoke with the editors about its inaccuracies. None of the corrections were printed. The problem as it turns out was a disk error. Fair enough, but why were there problems to begin with? Argus reporting is essentially amateur; there is no formal training for reporters, or at least there has not been in recent years, interviews are not recorded, and there is no process of confirmation for the final articles. Here is what I demand of the Argus: 1. Require that reporters tape all interviews, if the interview is over the phone; only print quotes that are sent to the reporter through text. 2. The editors should confirm quotes and facts in their articles. 3. Hold training sessions for reporters and require several draft pieces before a reporter s work goes to print. 4. Print retractions in the Argus that are not hidden in small type and take responsibility for reporters work. These additional requirements on an already overburdened editorial staff may be weighty, but they
are necessary if we want to be able to read the Argus without discounting the information that we find.

We know the Argus has a dismal track record. In light of that, we also have a responsibility to improve our student newspaper. This is why I am writing a Wespeak and not a private letter to the editors. We know that the Argus fails to have sufficient standards of journalistic responsibility and yet we continue to offer ourselves up, in interview after interview, to be
misquoted and to generally misguide Wesleyan as a whole. This is what I call for from Wesleyan students, staff, and faculty: 1. Do not give any interviews or information to the Argus if the interview is not being recorded. If an interview is being held over the phone, either defer the interview until it can occur in person, send the reporter a typed version of your quotes, or require that the reporter immediately send you a written transcript of what they think you said. 2. Do not divulge any information without a promise that the editors will send you a final draft of the article before it is printed. 3. Get the name of the reporter and their contact information prior to the interview. Unfortunately, it is not reasonable to assume that the reporters will send you their article before printing; what is necessary as a responsible member of the Wesleyan campus is to pursue the reporter and insure that the greater community is presented with the truth. It may be inconvenient, but I think if you are not willing to take these steps, the only responsible alternative is not to give the interview in the first place. All of these steps are necessary. I attempted to pursue the editors but irresponsibly gave the reporter quotes without having them recorded. I optimistically believed that an informal verbal agreement with the reporter was sufficient to insure accuracy, but unfortunately this is not the case.

Finally, the Argus, whether we like it or not, is important. Not only to circulate information to the students, but also because it shapes the opinions of the rest of Wesleyan. The Administration draws facts and opinions from the Argus to guide their decisions. The stakes are higher than we think. Small infractions and incorrect facts will have repercussions on what happens to the student body. My appeal to Wesleyan is simple; either claim responsibility for what you tell the Argus or don t tell them anything at all.

Kaplan-Sears is a member of the class of 2002