I would disagree about Jon's claim that the Envoy doesn't cover Hunter
events. Going from memory on their last few issues, they've done everything
from interviewing my Latin professor, covering guest speakers, and an
informational article on the CPE. Whether this is the *kind* of coverage
you want to see is a different matter. But at that point you can't play the
"them" game, it's "we" who aren't reporting.
You got a point. The Polemic has been utterly deficient of almost any
objective "Hunter" news. I could make excuses - lack of writers, lack of
time, only been in the game for a month and a half or so- but really, I just
haven't tried all that hard.
Regarding The Envoy. It is true that they have been covering a scintilla of
Hunter events. That CPE article, I agree, was indeed timely and informative.
Regarding the Latin Professor (sorry, Jillian) but I would openly question
its "newsworthiness." In regard to Hunter First and campus media in general,
what is needed is not just more Hunter-based reporting, but more diversity
in opinions. Even the CPE article was not "objective" reporting: I believe
its title was "Can't Possibly Escape...the CPE. I personally agree with that
aptly-stated sentiment but it's not quite "just the facts." The same can be
said for pretty much any article in the Envoy (or the Polemic) -- be it on
the war (Bush is a war criminal), or CUNY tuition hikes (thousands upon
thousands of students will be left "schoolless"...but never fear...the
quixotic SLAM is coming to the rescue), or even more subtly, what they
choose to cover. I don't think purely objective news is possible at either
the Polemic or the Envoy without a faculty advisor. Indeed, I would support
such a measure for my paper.
Considering the unlikelihood of this, I think what's needed is for us to
start joining papers (either the Envoy, the Polemic, or this radio station)
and start opining (enough of these emails!). This school does in fact have a
panoply of opinions -- you would just never know it from reading The Envoy.
I agree with Will that the Envoy is the publication with the most
potential -- by dint of its peerless budget, its age, and its reader
circulation. In short, if you can't beat em, join em. This, quite possibly,
would be the best venue for Hunter First to get its opinions out next year.
The radio, however, is ripe, virgin soil. I don't think anyone has ever
actually had a political talk show on there, no less a Huntercentric
political talk show. (Is this correct Mama Elephant?) This could be
something, as Will pointed out, worth pursuing.
I don't think the Envoy is not printed weekly b/s of money. I think it's a
lack of staff and organization. I could be wrong, and yes, color printing is
frivolous, but I truly think it's more shortage of staff.
Sorry for the way this reads -- like a sloppy rant -- but it's 4:30 am and
that is pretty much all I can muster right now. Perhaps there's something of
value in here.
Best,
Jonathan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jillian Murray" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2003 11:56 PM
Subject: Re: campus media
> Well, maybe we're onto something about campus media generally. I never
> thought of WHCS having much potential, but I (and others) have listened to
> other schools' radio stations more than Hunter's. WUSB (Stony Brook) is
one
> example. At a CA meeting this semester, someone from WHCS talked about
> getting transmitters back in the dorms, which were apparently dismantled
> during renovation. So this may be a good sign.
>
> I guess the contrast I saw re: campus media was this:
> -- Students who are forced to write about Hunter politics for "The Word"
do
> so, but poorly (no perspective on issues, by which I mean "this has
> happened before, no big deal" vs. "this is earth-shattering and
> unprecedented.").
> -- Students who "do" campus politics, but who are too darned busy to write
> about it, too. (Like me.)
> -- Students who cover "topics of interest to Hunter students," e.g. war,
> "women's," and environmental news, but not the daily goings-on of campus,
> like USG elections, Senate stuff, and student grievances.
>
> I would disagree about Jon's claim that the Envoy doesn't cover Hunter
> events. Going from memory on their last few issues, they've done
everything
> from interviewing my Latin professor, covering guest speakers, and an
> informational article on the CPE. Whether this is the *kind* of coverage
> you want to see is a different matter. But at that point you can't play
the
> "them" game, it's "we" who aren't reporting.
>
> -Jillian
>
>
> At 10:55 PM 5/4/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >Two things:
> >
> >1.) There me be a great deal going on at Hunter, but the Envoy is not
> >covering it. Perhaps now that the war is over, it just might start.
> >
> >2.) Considering that they don't cover Hunter events, and that their
> >reporting in general is not exactly worthy of being the "paper of record"
> >would it do any good to have it printed weekly? What good is it to have a
> >bad thing more often?
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "William Lim" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2003 10:54 PM
> >Subject: Re: The Word
> >
> >
> > > I haven't read the Word in a while.
> > >
> > > Ever try to contact Gregg Morris? He's vehemently anti-SLAM and
anti-Envoy
> > > as you know.
> > >
> > > Seriously I think campus media, like a lot of other things at Hunter,
can
> > > be greatly reformed for the benefit of everyone if a few people in a
few
> > > key positions collectively exercised an extra few brain cells. Not to
> >knock
> > > on Media Board, who's had its hands tied by blockheaded interlocutors
(an
> > > understatement) the last 2 semesters. Also not to knock on Jen Weiss
and
> > > Aliya Feldman and others I know on the Envoy staff. But think about
it:
> > > WHCS radio is 590 AM. 590 is barely receivable on even the newest
radios.
> > > Why not save up some money and buy a license for a higher frequency
> > > (assuming the bandwidth is available)? And why not make the Envoy a
daily
> > > or even a weekly? Among other things, it would make campus news,
> >especially
> > > at election time, much more relevant. Bi-weekly may be OK for a
magazine,
> > > but there's too much going on for the campus "newspaper of record" to
> >print
> > > so infrequently. Offset the extra cost of printing more frequently by
> > > reducing the number of pages and the print run. Make the
hunterenvoy.com
> > > website fully functional with archive search. And there's no need for
the
> > > cover page to have color if it only has artwork and not news content.
WHCS
> > > and the Envoy are the 2 campus media outlets in the best position by
far
> >to
> > > become truly great sources of news and entertainment. All it will take
is
> > > the belief that there's something better than the current status quo.
And
> > > maybe a few marathon negotiation sessions with Dean Escott...
> > >
> > > -WL
> > >
> > >
> > > At 10:07 PM 5/4/03 -0400, Jillian Murray wrote:
> > > >Does anyone here read "The Word" online?
> > > >http://theword.hunter.cuny.edu
> > > >
> > > >I'm looking at the latest issue, and am appalled by the grammar
errors.
> > > >Some of the articles are literally unreadable. Is this all that
> > > >Hunter-focused reporting can be? The student writers must be so
detached
> > > >from the events (USG, Senate, Hunter-l, whatever) that they seem to
> >funnel
> > > >misinformation and wrong perspectives into the issues.
> > > >
> > > >Sigh...
> > > >Jillian
> > >
>
> - - - - - - - - - -
> Jillian Murray
> Vice Chairperson
> Hunter College Senate
> http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/senate
> - - - - - - - - - -
>
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