Texas SAE saves swimmer's life

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Whatever. I read the Daily Texan almost daily and I don't see that at all. Maybe I'm missing something, but they seldom cover Greek Life that much anyway. Sure, they covered some dramatic hazing types of things, but nothing compares to their coverage of the Colton Pitonyak story a few years ago. And he wasn't Greek.

Besides, anyone who reads the Texan carefully will notice it's taken a serious turn to the political right in the last year and a half.

I'm calling shenanigans on y'all.

Wow, I think their disdain for greek life sticks out like a sore thumb and I have yet to hear someone affiliated with a fraternity or sorority here disagree.

Their coverage of Tyler Cross' death pissed me off especially.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Wow, I think their disdain for greek life sticks out like a sore thumb and I have yet to hear someone affiliated with a fraternity or sorority here disagree.

Their coverage of Tyler Cross' death pissed me off especially.

Hm. OK, I'll admit that I'm an alum so I in no way have the Texas Greek perspective.

I guess I can somewhat see it in the Tyler Cross case, seeing as they continually mentioned his fraternity affiliation even though that wasn't really relevant to his tragedy. At the same time, his death occurred at the house, right? Or am I wrong on that? I know that this is a very personal issue for you so please let's not discuss it if it's painful.

The main response I have is that most of what I would guess ticks Greeks off is things from the Firing Line, which isn't really the voice of the Texan but of anyone who writes in. And it's impossible for them to totally edit out any Firing Line letters that are anti-Greek. Although maybe they could be better fact-checkers.

I'll take your point but I still think from the perspective of someone like me (pro-Greek but not a Texas Greek, and a liberal at that), that overall the Texan seems pretty balanced and by no means as virulently anti-Greek as y'all are portraying it.

As someone pointed out we've hijacked this thread so I'll shut up now about the Texan. It's really not serious business.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Wow, I think their disdain for greek life sticks out like a sore thumb and I have yet to hear someone affiliated with a fraternity or sorority here disagree.

Their coverage of Tyler Cross' death pissed me off especially.

I think you and breathesgelatin are both right.

The DT still has an anti-Greek bent, but the paper is far more conservative than it used it be- and it is a very recent shift.

Back in my time, the Daily Texan got photos of fraternity guys in black-face at parties for 2 different chapters by sneaking into closed parties- basically breaking a key Risk Management rule- something they would be all over anyone Greek for doing.

I am surprised they were not sued for it- but it was not unusual for staffers to trespass or break other laws to drum up juicy stories on Greeks. And there was even a time when they would hang out at the police station and look for guys showing up to pick someone up wearing Greek letters. No joke- and then when they did their campus arrest reports the Greek affiliation was reported.

As for the reporting on Tyler Cross- I agree it was disgraceful but I would attribute it more to the general tone of media reporting in general today. The news is now a profit-driven industry, and the students who write articles like this for the Daily Texan are just getting their basic training for how they will behave as professionals- which is what really scares me.

But in reading the articles on Tyler I did not see quite the same level of politically-driven outrage and pontification that such stories received in the past.

Long story short- The DT coverage of Tyler Cross is typical of what one should expect from the media these days (and I use the term "these days" advisedly because I think things really have changed that much).

However the DT coverage of such incidents years ago was far sloppier, far more insulting and- at times- defamatory.


Still- the DT does occasionally reveal that old liberal bias. A few months ago there was a page 1 article about a protest and national petition against a "Cholo" party that was allegedly going to take place. Basically someone heard the party was going to happen, but did not know where. And of course there was no such party. Yet the fact it "might well could have happened" seemed to be worth a front page story.

[UTLonghorn2012]

The bigger story I remember hearing is that they covered someone who had gone around and posted "FIJI rules" up all over campus, which said things like 'No Mexicans.' But as far as I know they weren't actually FIJIs, and DT just assumed they were.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

I think you and breathesgelatin are both right.

The DT still has an anti-Greek bent, but the paper is far more conservative than it used it be- and it is a very recent shift.

Back in my time, the Daily Texan got photos of fraternity guys in black-face at parties for 2 different chapters by sneaking into closed parties- basically breaking a key Risk Management rule- something they would be all over anyone Greek for doing.

I am surprised they were not sued for it- but it was not unusual for staffers to trespass or break other laws to drum up juicy stories on Greeks. And there was even a time when they would hang out at the police station and look for guys showing up to pick someone up wearing Greek letters. No joke- and then when they did their campus arrest reports the Greek affiliation was reported.

As for the reporting on Tyler Cross- I agree it was disgraceful but I would attribute it more to the general tone of media reporting in general today. The news is now a profit-driven industry, and the students who write articles like this for the Daily Texan are just getting their basic training for how they will behave as professionals- which is what really scares me.

But in reading the articles on Tyler I did not see quite the same level of politically-driven outrage and pontification that such stories received in the past.

Long story short- The DT coverage of Tyler Cross is typical of what one should expect from the media these days (and I use the term "these days" advisedly because I think things really have changed that much).

However the DT coverage of such incidents years ago was far sloppier, far more insulting and- at times- defamatory.


Still- the DT does occasionally reveal that old liberal bias. A few months ago there was a page 1 article about a protest and national petition against a "Cholo" party that was allegedly going to take place. Basically someone heard the party was going to happen, but did not know where. And of course there was no such party. Yet the fact it "might well could have happened" seemed to be worth a front page story.

I have heard similar stories about how they used to be.

The coverage of Tyler was just completely over the line and so incredibly disrespectful........especially to his poor family, who are extremely good people. They didn't deserve it at all. I do agree though, that's the way the media is these days....all of them, not just the DT.

UTL2012, I remember the pledge rules surfacing.......the list was actually pretty funny to read. Didn't sound like anything that group of guys would do........but funny nonetheless.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by macallan25

I have heard similar stories about how they used to be.

The coverage of Tyler was just completely over the line and so incredibly disrespectful........especially to his poor family, who are extremely good people. They didn't deserve it at all. I do agree though, that's the way the media is these days....all of them, not just the DT.

It is a damn shame the Cross family has had to deal with all that media coverage. At the end of the day this was a sad tragedy that had no business in the news. The general public was not benefitted at all by hearing about it. But unfortunately there are lots of dull and ignorant people out there who need someone else's tragedy to fill their minds.

In terms of how the Daily Texan used to be, I sometimes wish I had saved copies. The editorial section was especially insane.

But I do have recollections of two editorial sections in particular. One was a rebuttal to a previous article about public displays of affection between homosexuals. In the letter a very angry and militant person went on and on about how every time she saw a wedding ring she felt offended and oppressed and it just went downhill from there. It was the writing of a true mental case.

Another time the DT did a profile on Mother Teresa and the editorial the next day railed against her and accused her of being part of an international child molestation conspiracy etc. etc. I will be the first person to state that I do believe the Catholic Church has long condoned child molestation by virtue of a failure to act on it, but to lay all that on Mother Teresa and say she was inherently evil?

I dunno. I wish I had the articles to type up and post since I cannot even begin to describe the sheer lunacy and conjecture involved.

Simply put, there was a time when that paper was in the hands of lunatic liberals who had absolutely no ability or desire to support their ridiculous articles with facts or rational logic. Conservatives have our loonies too- like pro-lifers who kill abortion doctors- but the fact is that for a long time the DT was more of a place for fringe element lefties to spout their hateful rhetoric than it was a serious publication addressing legitimate issues for students.

But I never really cared about that. The sports page and the crossword have never changed- and that is all the value I ever got out of that publication.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

It is a damn shame the Cross family has had to deal with all that media coverage. At the end of the day this was a sad tragedy that had no business in the news. The general public was not benefitted at all by hearing about it. But unfortunately there are lots of dull and ignorant people out there who need someone else's tragedy to fill their minds.

In terms of how the Daily Texan used to be, I sometimes wish I had saved copies. The editorial section was especially insane.

But I do have recollections of two editorial sections in particular. One was a rebuttal to a previous article about public displays of affection between homosexuals. In the letter a very angry and militant person went on and on about how every time she saw a wedding ring she felt offended and oppressed and it just went downhill from there. It was the writing of a true mental case.

Another time the DT did a profile on Mother Teresa and the editorial the next day railed against her and accused her of being part of an international child molestation conspiracy etc. etc. I will be the first person to state that I do believe the Catholic Church has long condoned child molestation by virtue of a failure to act on it, but to lay all that on Mother Teresa and say she was inherently evil?

I dunno. I wish I had the articles to type up and post since I cannot even begin to describe the sheer lunacy and conjecture involved.

Simply put, there was a time when that paper was in the hands of lunatic liberals who had absolutely no ability or desire to support their ridiculous articles with facts or rational logic. Conservatives have our loonies too- like pro-lifers who kill abortion doctors- but the fact is that for a long time the DT was more of a place for fringe element lefties to spout their hateful rhetoric than it was a serious publication addressing legitimate issues for students.

But I never really cared about that. The sports page and the crossword have never changed- and that is all the value I ever got out of that publication.

Ditto.