It is no secret that the Wheel, like all newspapers, has its fair number of critics. Our articles revolve around the Emory community, and consequently, we often report on situations in which students have acted controversially or broken rules and comment critically on these situations.
But our first obligation is to our readers, and it is our responsibility to relay the information and truth to our greatest capability — we have no intentions of being vindictivetoward any individual or group, but it’s not our job to protect students, either.
One of the core functions of a newspaper, according to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics to which the Wheel adheres, is to “be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless.” News flash — not all of this information is sunny and pleasant.
Each student’s perception of the Wheel reflects their role on campus. Students who are members of Greek life may feel attacked when we discuss fraternity or sorority issues. Likewise, student government legislators may feel victimized by the Wheel.
There will always be conflicts between a government or organization and any independent news sources that cover it. Though we both aim to serve the student body, the Wheel’s goal as a newspaper is different from any student government’s goals as a government. In the same way, U.S. news sources are motivated by different forces than the politicians they cover.
But that does not mean that The New York Times should give President Donald J. Trump a break and stop reporting. CNN should not stop releasing breaking news to salvage individuals’ feelings. Likewise, the Wheel cannot turn a blind eye when a Greek organization is under investigation by its national headquarters. When SPC was conned by fake Migos bookers, it would have been unacceptable for the Wheel to let it off the hook and withhold news coverage.
No institution or media organization is without faults. The Wheel strives to be as accurate, transparent and ethical as possible but has produced flawed articles that warrant criticism. We strongly encourage any member of the Emory community who takes issue with the Wheel in any capacity to stop aimlessly complaining about it to friends and, instead, step up and write about it.
The Editorial Board is composed of Jennifer Katz, Madeline Lutwyche and Boris Niyonzima.
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