Every journalist holds the hope that he or she will be looked at as a professional by those who are outside their profession. I personally hope that the students, faculty and staff on this campus will read the newest issue of The Independent every Wednesday and view each and every reporter, editor and page designer as professionals who deserve respect.
After I finally awaken from this dream, I have to remind myself occasionally that as much as we hate to admit it, we are not professionals yet. We are not working for The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, or even The Columbian. We are working for the Clark College Independent. Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud to be a part of Clark’s newspaper. However, I do feel that sometimes our readers need to be reminded that being part of The Independent means we are in a class. It is a learning experience for all of us, reporters, editors and page designers alike.
Occasionally, I feel like some of The Independent readers forget that everyone working on the paper is still learning the process. Although we always strive for perfection, mistakes will still be made, and they will be addressed and corrected. I am not addressing anyone in particular who has complained to The Independent about something being incorrect in an article. I am referring to anyone who has ever become irate about a mistake, questioning the reporters and editors on how they could possibly make that mistake. People, especially those who are still learning their profession, do make mistakes. I know they’re annoying and sometimes frustrating, but they will happen.
I would love for The Independent staff to have the respect of everyone on campus, but instead of verbally bashing us when a mistake is made, help us learn. If you feel something in an article is wrong, let us know and tell us how to fix it. I love criticism, no matter how bad it is. But if you’re going to bring criticism, I would love it even more if you brought suggestions along with that criticism. The one thing that I don’t understand is when someone complains about a problem in an article, but doesn’t offer a solution.
