2008 Woodie Awards
Track story questionable
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Rocket Letters
To the editor:
After viewing the article "Pictures could lead to suspensions" in last week's issue, I have to wonder whether there was an absolute journalistic necessity in reprinting the photographs in question.
This is especially troublesome, as Ms. Tedesco had obviously felt it important enough to remove them from Facebook prior to the story's publication, but The Rocket staff felt that there was nothing wrong in going against her wishes anyway. Did The Rocket staff stop to consider how damaging these photographs could be to the athletes pictured, especially those soon entering the job market?
I know that such pictures make for a "sensational" cover story in an otherwise-slow news week, and I agree that some sort of discipline is in order.
However, The Rocket staff should try to consider the consequences of reprinting these photos and realize that doing so has only made things worse for these athletes who, after all, are their fellow students.
The incident wasn't a national political scandal.
It was a group of young people who made a mistake, and hardly worthy of front page material anyway.
William Huber
2007 SRU graduate
To the editor:
I think everyone is missing the bigger story and perhaps some good journalist at your paper could do some research. The story isn't the track team having a party or drinking; Heck, that is just college students doing the same dumb stuff they have done for decades.
The real story are the privacy violations being created by Facebook, which gives all these so-called privacy rights on their Web site and allow students to set their programs to "friends only" and then all of a sudden, company management, the NCAA, administration and others have access to everything.
I have two students in college right now and I'm very concerned about the "Big Brother is Watching" that has been created by Facebook's cavalier attitude and easy access they allow in regards to "privacy."
That is what your story should have focused on.
Scott Tucker
Towson, Md.
After viewing the article "Pictures could lead to suspensions" in last week's issue, I have to wonder whether there was an absolute journalistic necessity in reprinting the photographs in question.
This is especially troublesome, as Ms. Tedesco had obviously felt it important enough to remove them from Facebook prior to the story's publication, but The Rocket staff felt that there was nothing wrong in going against her wishes anyway. Did The Rocket staff stop to consider how damaging these photographs could be to the athletes pictured, especially those soon entering the job market?
I know that such pictures make for a "sensational" cover story in an otherwise-slow news week, and I agree that some sort of discipline is in order.
However, The Rocket staff should try to consider the consequences of reprinting these photos and realize that doing so has only made things worse for these athletes who, after all, are their fellow students.
The incident wasn't a national political scandal.
It was a group of young people who made a mistake, and hardly worthy of front page material anyway.
William Huber
2007 SRU graduate
To the editor:
I think everyone is missing the bigger story and perhaps some good journalist at your paper could do some research. The story isn't the track team having a party or drinking; Heck, that is just college students doing the same dumb stuff they have done for decades.
The real story are the privacy violations being created by Facebook, which gives all these so-called privacy rights on their Web site and allow students to set their programs to "friends only" and then all of a sudden, company management, the NCAA, administration and others have access to everything.
I have two students in college right now and I'm very concerned about the "Big Brother is Watching" that has been created by Facebook's cavalier attitude and easy access they allow in regards to "privacy."
That is what your story should have focused on.
Scott Tucker
Towson, Md.
