Editorial board admits errors in recent census piece
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Like many MSU students, we forgot to do our homework yesterday. In yesterday’s editorial concerning the 2010 U.S. Census, Students should complete census thoughtfully (SN 2/4), we put forth an uninformed opinion based on faulty assumptions and information.
Every day, The State News strives to inform MSU students with accurate information, and our editorials are an attempt to provide students with an opinion based on the consensus of our editorial board.
Yesterday, however, we jumped the gun on some facts. Regarding the census, we stated that it should be up to each student to choose where they’re from on the survey. It came to our attention after publication that not only would it be misleading for an MSU student not to put “East Lansing” as their place of residence — it’s technically illegal. We at The State News are all for students having fun, but we regret unintentionally advocating for them to break the law.
The process of how we write and research our editorials is, unfortunately, open to holes and misinformation. Every few days, we sit down as a board and discuss several topics and stories that affect the MSU and East Lansing communities. We always try to come to the most informed position possible, but due to time constraints, deadlines and youthful inexperience, we sometimes miss crucial information that regrettably makes its way into editorials.
We’ve recognized that our process lends itself to these flaws, and we take those flaws seriously. Untrue facts and misleading articles aren’t tolerated in other sections of our newspaper, and we are striving to make sure that the opinion section is held to the same standard of accuracy. We are putting steps in place to fix our editorial writing process so that we can continue to present valid arguments based on verified facts. Anything less is an insult to our readers.
Our readers might not always agree with our stance in many editorials, but they should never doubt that they are based on sound reasoning and facts. There should be no doubt that the information presented on the opinion page is held to the same standard of quality that readers of The State News have come to expect.
We acknowledge the numerous readers who called, wrote letters and commented on our Web site to inform us of our error. Again, we try to tell the truth, and tell it by making as few mistakes as possible. But sometimes, when the watchdog for the community slips up, we need watchdogs ourselves. Make no mistake, having an intelligent and informed readership is something we constantly appreciate.
When students turn to the opinion page, they should expect informed and intelligent debate based on facts, not assumptions. We apologize for our mistake and we’re going to do our best each day to provide information and opinions that encourages such debate, making as few mistakes as possible.
And make no mistake — we’ll be doing our homework.
Commentary
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RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM NEEDED
(02/04/10 7:59pm)Report
It is honorable to admit this mistake. But on a daily basis, the writing is devoid of the critical facts and lacking in depth, while raising more questions than it answers. Now WHY did we allow a Republican representative make a rule that makes it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for COLLEGE STUDENTS to vote in their college towns, despite the fact that it is often impossible for them to drive back home to vote on a Tuesday night? Your money and your vote are your voice. It makes sense that it should go to the location where you live 80% or more of the year.
flugelhorn
(02/05/10 2:36am)Report
Forgot to do your homework? This is your excuse? You came in one day and just started writing, not really actually investigating your topic? Something seems fishy about this excuse…as in, its complete BS.
How about it’s clear the editorial board carries a heavy conservative bias and is unable to give solid coverage to it’s readers.
The opinion described in your article did nothing for you and does nothing for students, so I’m curious about your motivations. But the one thing your proposed actions would do is help redraw redistricting lines. Specifically, it would say East Lansing (and more specifically, the 8th Congressional District in which EL sits) had less people in it that it actually does. With that in mind, the district lines can easily be manipulated to..say…help keep the district gerrymandered like it is.
Sounds to me like the State News is more interested in helping Mike Rogers than MSU.
old lady river
(02/05/10 7:39am)Report
Would the Michigan Daily have made such a glaring set of mistakes?
Rick
(02/05/10 8:06am)Report
This is a good start toward accountability, though it is only a start. The EB commentary regularly has this very same problem; uninformed opinion. I would like to believe that your lesson will be applied here on but I won’t hold me breath.
Rick
(02/05/10 8:06am)Report
This is a good start toward accountability, though it is only a start. The EB commentary regularly has this very same problem; uninformed opinion. I would like to believe that your lesson will be applied here on but I won’t hold me breath.
Reality
(02/05/10 10:35am)Report
Every day, the State News “strives” to inform MSU students with accurate information? More like, “throws a dart at a wall of post-it notes containing random phrases and opinions” to inform MSU students.
RC River
(02/05/10 10:41am)Report
Why are we still going door-to-door to verify addresses? We need to apply bar codes and GPS technology to every human within US borders. This should be a no-brainer, if not for the Revelation fantasies of a lunatic fringe.
WalMart can track its most valuable assets, why can’t the USA?
Hmm
(02/05/10 11:33am)Report
Old Lady River: To compare the State News to the Michigan Daily is like comparing one of the Great Lakes to a pond in your backyard. The Daily is a piece of crap that anyone can walk on. One is award winning, the other is pretty junky.
Andy
(02/05/10 1:55pm)Report
“Like many MSU students, we forgot to do our homework yesterday.”
Nice. In defending themselves, the State News can’t help but take a swipe at the students who they supposedly are so committed to serving and who support the newspaper with their tuition dollars.
Rick
(02/05/10 1:59pm)Report
This is a good start toward accountability, though it is only a start. The EB commentary regularly has this very same problem; uninformed opinion. I would like to believe that your lesson will be applied here on but I won’t hold me breath.
meg
(02/05/10 6:04pm)Report
what exactly does “untrue fact” mean?
Darko
(02/08/10 10:50am)Report
I paid the State News to advertise for me before.
It was an event with a huge cash prize about a year ago.
NO ONE who contacted me had heard about us through the State News. It was all from our own, grassroots advertising.
NEVER give your money to the SN Advertising Department. They will give you ZERO results, and take forever to do the work.
Townsend
(02/08/10 7:19pm)Report
“Like many MSU students, we forgot to do our homework yesterday.”
Talk about a left-handed apology, the SN goes on to show even more contempt for the students of this great university… And the fact the SN’s “error” tends to aid Republican Mike Rodgers (one of the bigger stiffs in Congress), is a crowning moment highlighting (more like low-lighting) the extreme rightward drift of MSU’s student newspaper this year… very disturbing.
so
(02/09/10 2:37pm)Report
who got fired for this? this is more than a typo…
mara-kame
(02/10/10 1:57pm)Report
totally agree w/ Townsend…
“The process of how we write and research our editorials is, unfortunately, open to holes and misinformation”
no shit! many, many, many, holes…its been like what?
5-6 editorial board articles that are one-sided and/OR non-sense.