Letter from the editor: On the plea for change

| Editor-in-Chief

Dear readers, 

Today Student Life published a letter to the editor from Stephen Bertelsman, a student in the Washington University School of Law. In the letter, Mr. Bertelsman provides a critique of this newspaper’s recent coverage and issues a plea for change.

I hear that plea, recognize the necessity for continued improvement and remain dedicated to serving the University community to the best of our ability. As I wrote in my introductory letter from the editor, “Student Life exists for you—the people of Washington University, so my staff and I will strive to further campus conversations by holding those in power accountable, bringing new information to light and providing consistent, fair and accurate reporting.” That goal will continue to be my guiding light as editor-in-chief. 

Still, I do not want the need for progress to entirely distract from the hard work this paper’s staff has done over the past year to cover this community’s stories. Particularly on the topic of Title IX, many of the questions that Mr. Bertelsman’s letter raises are already answered in our reporting. Are there things we should have done differently in our coverage of Title IX? Certainly. There are countless ways we can do better. But to suggest that this paper has no “reporting or investigating to offer” flies in the face of the many dozens of hours our staff—mainly volunteers—spend researching, interviewing, writing and editing to inform this campus.   

Going forward, we will work to bolster that existing reporting. If you hear about an issue on campus and do not see it covered on the pages of Student Life, let our news editors know by emailing [email protected]. If you are interested in joining the paper to help out in efforts to expand our reporting, email [email protected]

I welcome Mr. Bertelsman’s critical perspective and am excited to continue this paper’s work to better serve the Washington University community. If you have thoughts or suggestions for me as editor-in-chief, do not hesitate to reach out by emailing [email protected].

Best,

Matthew Friedman

Editor-in-Chief

 

You can also read a response to Bertelsman’s letter to the editor from Student Life managing editor Em McPhie.

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