Student media = always anti-Greek?

[littleowl33]

The JHU News-Letter is pretty mixed. I know they have Greeks on staff, but the articles on Greek Life range from really supportive to downright nasty.

For example, the latest issue features two tidbits about Greeks. The first is a glowing article about Phi Delta Theta receiving their charter this month and highlighting their accomplishments in the year since the colony began.

The other was on a full-page "The Year in Review" section. It featured seven blurbs: the new University president, the economy, the "samurai killing", the swine flu, the provost going to work for Obama, a faculty member winning the Nobel Prize... and, in huge font, a bit with the headline "Greeks Get Busted". It reads:

Fraternities came under fire for violating alcohol policies during rush and orientation. On the sorority side of things, we bid farewell to [NPC sorority] after sisters were caught breaking into Barnes and Nobel... and then had a party to celebrate their probation against having parties. Way to go out with a bang, ladies. After all, you only live once... or so we've heard.

Next to the text is a big photo of solo cups and empty beer cans.

Firstly, that's nowhere near as important as the other things the page highlights, and if they were looking for something cool and Greek-related, we've all done some pretty impressive philanthropy work on campus in the last year. Secondly, the author (who is not listed, and almost certainly not Greek) is citing hearsay over actual fact in regards to the events surrounding the closing of that chapter. Thirdly, that's not how you spell Barnes and Noble.

Sigh.

[VandalSquirrel]

I haven't seen overt and pointed anti-Greek bias in The Argonaut, probably because members of chapters have been on staff and there was an incident a few years ago where someone made a tasteless joke about the name of a local business and lost that advertising revenue. Greek organizations advertise in the paper so biting the hand that feeds you is not a good idea. There have been stories with misinformation, but that's any student media.

What I have a real problem with is when there's a legal incident, but no indictment or court case, just alleged that someone did something, they publish the person's name, major, and year in school. I'd prefer they not do that as innocent until proven guilty, and just leave it as gender, age, and if they are a student or not if it happens on campus. This happens more frequently with athletes and off campus incidents, and it is in poor taste and really unnecessary as well as sensational.