COLUMN: Puppet no more
By Evan Sorenson on October 8, 2012 7:40 am / 22 comments
If there are two things I wish for readers to get out of this column, it’s that Central Michigan Life is an independent newspaper with no ties to the university outside of the amazing students that help write and publish it, and that an individual is only as strong as their words and morals.
Last week, I published a column calling out the presidential debate on their role of misrepresenting and showboating idealized versions of our presidential candidates. I addressed the fact that this nation needs to have our presidential candidates vetted, and for a lack of a better word, interrogated, in order to separate those who wish to lie their way into office by misrepresenting their platform.
Shortly after writing this article I was confronted by a CMU alum, and fellow appreciator of journalism, who felt that my use of the word “bullshit” (in the context of “he who can throw bullshit the furthest) hit a new low in the world of journalism. He addressed the fact that the use of the obscenity was unnecessary and uncalled for, and that he would be removing his funding from CMU’s College of Communication and Fine Arts because of this “gaffe” — unless I write an apology for my poor choice of wording.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the weekend thinking of how to address this issue. While I understand the individual’s view point, I am baffled why a graduate of CMU who holds himself to such a high standard that he is willing to address my poor choice of words would be willing to hold the future of innocent journalism students hostage for the sake of an apology.
Not to stray from the point, a great writer once said: “Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”
A newspaper’s job is not to coddle the masses, at the same point the goal is not to fear monger or over play events. We are here to provide an unbiased report of what events happen, not to be pushed around by politicians, organizations, or our readers, and allowing that to happen is denying yourself the right to be called a journalist.
I write in the sense that I have become accustom through experience and teachings, statements and opinions back by hard evidence, because to write otherwise is denying myself and my morals. If my words offend those who do not wish to read such harsh words, I offer my apologizes, and will take your criticism to heart.
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22 Comments
Evan, whether you’re for or against Obama, Romney or any other party, there is NO reason for a journalist to use profanity or salty language. None, whatsoever.
Whenever I have an argument regarding an airline flight, retail store problem, workplace situation, etc., I NEVER EVER use profanity or salty language. Especially, in front of a female. They will immediately end the conversation and declare victory.
A good debater, journalist, writer should find another field of endeavor if they resort to profanity or salty language.
If they are currently teaching at CMU that this type of writing style is permitted, then it should be exposed. I can’t recall the last time reading a liberal or conservative columnist in the Free-Press or News and reading salty language.
I may disagree with their argument but they say it in a professional manner.
Bill Maher gets away with it since he’s on an unregulated network.
Funny isn’t it, it’s always you left-wingers who love Obama that seem to have hate and use such language. Whether it’s MSNBC employees, Hollywood stars, they’re the ones with hate in their speech and will use profanity and salty language to insult conservatives and conservative women. I remember what Ed Schultz said about Laura Ingraham that he was suspended and forced to apologize. Or Letterman, about A-Rod and Sara Palin’s daughter.
Liberals have no compassion, only hate and insults!
liberals are very dangerous human animals.
To bigotry, such as yours.
You’re a self-proclaimed fan of Rush Limbaugh. You’re utterly shameless/clueless.
I posted a choice statement crafted by little Evan high lighting his anti-republican bias: “Romney’s blatant talking out of his ass for the entirety of the
performance, it could have been played as a Jersey Shore rerun and few
people would have noticed or cared.” Yet this “punk” demands to be seen as objective? Yeah sure! Your nothing but an angry leftest a$$ hole who did not like “feeling” the sting of humiliation as his demigod was bested by a superior intellect and debater.
Romney is a serial flip-flopper who’ll say anything to get ahead and is incredibly stupid. But at least he panders to your prejudices, and that’s all that seems to matter to you.
Keep clinging to your belief that obama is god. That and and a pair of sensible shoes will get you to the welfare office.
Your imagination is fertile, but far from accurate.
I don’t think Obama is perfect, far from it. However, he’s vastly better than Romney and company.
And I’ve no personal need of welfare. I make more than the US median household income by myself, in a field where there’s a shortage of the highly skilled workers needed. I have no debt uncovered by cash, and have additional cash available to cover a year of expenses. Beyond that, I can easily cover several more years of expenses were I to become unemployed, even if the stock market plunges by half. You’re closer to being the loser you imagine me to be.
Stew on that when you’re in your shack or working your crappy job. You can keep on dreaming of white power, but you’ve got none, and it shows.
Speaking of choice statements, here’s some of your most recent:
“Shut your mouth you filthy lying whore!”
“As the muslims are fond of chanting: Death to liberals! Death to Liberals!”
“When the devil Obama falls the race war will begin.”
“Hillary clinton is satan incarnate.”
“You old piece of lying shit go to hell!”
Who exactly is the angry “a$$ hole”?
Don’t forget about when she said that Obama looked like “an illiterate gang-banger”.
No ties to the university? CM-Life is housed in Moore Hall on campus. It’s staff employees get checks from the University. Journalism faculty serve as advisors. Staff of CM-Life teach classes. When there’s computer problems CM-Life calls the CMU Help Desk.
CM-Life is not as removed from the University as they would like you think.
You’re not responsible for the university’s fundraising and should feel no need to apologize because of an alum’s threat, especially from someone who doesn’t understand the relationship between the paper and the University. Whether you should have used the word or not is an entirely different question; I personally don’t care one way or the other.
Who is the whiny child who complained? And why apologize?
CMU’s College of Communication and Fine Arts isn’t responsible for the content of CM Life, and if that jackass is willing to punish a third party, he deserves to be named and shamed.
Ahem.
I’m him. Chris Davis…Class of 1996. Former newspaper editor, former LIFE-er.
My qualm with what Evan wrote had absolutely nothing to do with his political views. As one who values and cherishes the First Amendment, I may not always agree with what one writes or says, but I will defend to the end of the earth to right of the individual to say it.
This “whiny child” doesn’t have virgin ears — which is exactly what I wrote to Evan when I originally contacted him regarding the column. It’s not that I haven’t been around vulgarity. It’s that journalists have to understand the nature of the periodical to which they’re contributing and the audience to which they’re writing. CMLife serves the community and campus. It’s not Rolling Stone and it’s not The Onion. It’s a community newspaper…and vulgarity simply has no place in it. Period.
For the record: alumni contributions are gifts. I and many others have given willingly and cheerfully to CMU and its many deserving offshoots through the years. I give based on my belief that monies are being used to educate and enhance programs, with the understanding that college is the proving ground for life skills. To that end, I respectfully disagree with your assertion that withholding a gift is the equivalent of punishment.
I look forward to continue reading the newspaper that gave me my start, and appropriately called me out when I made errors in my own judgement, as well.
Get over yourself, has been. You’re not the arbiter of what CM Life’s audience is allowed to see; CM Life has an editorial staff, and you’re not on it.
“It’s not Rolling Stone and it’s not The Onion. It’s a community newspaper…and vulgarity simply has no place in it. Period.”
The New York Times is a community newspaper as well, though a much
larger community. Guess what word isn’t banished from its pages?
If you’re going to crusade about vulgarity, what about the masturbation
pun that was the title of the piece? And how about the articles about
sex toys and other such things? Maybe CM Life should only print pictures
of puppies and kittens; heaven forbid that anyone ever take offense.
“Bullshit” is PG-13, at worst, and perfectly appropriate as used. (While I do not agree with all of Evan’s opinions in that piece, the choice of phrasing was most effective at communicating his disgust.) It’s also a word that has appeared in CM Life several times before. CM Life’s audience is not children, and if an adult can’t handle the
occasional context-appropriate appearance of the word “bullshit”, that
adult should seek treatment for their condition.
“To that end, I respectfully disagree with your assertion that withholding a gift is the equivalent of punishment.”
Withholding a gift under the circumstances detailed, circumstances which you have not disputed, IS punishment. If you don’t like that particular word for what you were doing, have another: coercion. Don’t like that? Fine, here’s another: extortion.
Words have meaning. If you don’t like that the definition of a particular word fits what you’re doing, perhaps you should rethink your behavior.
It’s clear we have a difference of opinion here and our positions aren’t being changed. As I said — I will defend your right to speak your viewpoint, even though I couldn’t disagree with it more.
I wish you, Evan and the CMLife staff the best moving forward. Even fellow Chippewas can disagree from time to time and must make decisions they feel are in their best interest.
You’re entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. If it makes you feel better about yourself, go ahead and tell yourself that what you did was something other than exactly what it was, but it doesn’t change reality.
Definitely not a masturbation pun.
“Master Debaters”?
Hey Evan, do you think this is fair?
Per Politico, ABC reporter Martha Raddatz, who will moderate the Thursday night debate——————-Barack Hussein Obama attended her wedding years ago since Obama and her husband are good friends.
Do you think that’s fair?
Now this is real journalism!
Seriously……please show me anyone who really believes that the CM Life is a viable news source??