Student media = always anti-Greek?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by psusue

As a side note, I would like to just implore those reading the Collegian's take on this matter to think well upon what they read in this paper and to take everything in with consideration as to its source. All media does have a natural bias, because it comes from biased humans. The staff writers of the Collegian are rarely to never a part of Greek life, and some (though not all) do not have the most balanced view of it. And that is all I have to say about that.

This is re a chapter closure at psusue's school and the school paper's handling of it. It seems more and more - definitely much more than it used to be - that the student media usually takes the dimmest view of Greek life possible, up to and including a yearly article deriding Greeks (always published right before rush).

I know I'm speaking from the POV of someone 20 years out of college, but we just never had this happening. There were always Greeks on the newspaper staff, and if anything "anti-Greek" was published, it was usually a student who wrote a letter to the editor. It wasn't like the newspaper was rabidly pro-Greek either - I think there were enough different types on staff that all opinions were heard.

How is it/was it at your school? Does the staff REALLY feel that negative about Greek life, or is it just a tactic to stir up controversy and get people interested in the paper?

[Senusret I]

I went to a university which did not recognize Greek life with students who were generally anti-Greek.

Every two years, at least one campus publication would attempt to highlight the Greek life which did exist (including APO, the professional GLOs, the BGLOs, and LGLOs).

When AEPi was established in 2002, the articles started being more about social Greek life with APO and the professionals as the afterthought.

Then Sigma Phi Epsilon came to campus and the Delta Sigma Pi chapter was dechartered, so professionals stopped being mentioned all together (it seems).

The press has always been an attempt to be positive, though usually off or stereotypical. There is also usually one letter to the editor which is like OMG I AM SO GLAD I GO TO AN ANTI GREEK SCHOOL.

[KSUViolet06]

I think that the paper here USED to have an anti-Greek bias, but from what I have seen/heard lately, things are quite different due to there being more Greeks on staff.

The paper isn't neccessarily pro-Greek, but there is more coverage of the positive events going on within the Greek community.

[agzg]

Student radio was generally more pro-greek than the student newspaper but even the student newspaper was relatively unbiased (unless we did something really awesome, like raise thousands of dollars for charity, in which case they loved us).

Of course, the general managers of the student radio station often either was greek or had a lot of friends who were greek, so that would color the results a little bit.

[ASTalumna06]

My campus newspaper used to have a Greek page way back when I first joined, but then it kind of died out. Our chapters became relatively small, and members didn't have time to think about writing articles for the newspaper.

This year, they got the Greek page back. Every organization writes their own article each week about whatever they like. It could be about something the chapter has done, or something that they're planning to do. It could regard changes in their national organization's policy, or discuss what convention is all about.

And at the beginning of this semester, after a huge risk management issue came up last spring with an unaffiliated fraternity, the newspaper staff took it upon themselves to write an article about the strengthening of an already-established policy, which takes the stance that Greeks are not to affiliate or hold chapter events with unrecognized groups.

They also write about our Mr. and Mrs. PSB Pageant every year, and about ASA's date auction. From what I understand, Greek Week is written about, as well.

I'm not really sure as to their overall opinion of Greeks. From what I can tell, it has kind of shifted back and forth over the years. However, they have never written about Greeks in a negative light unless we've given them reason to do so.. which, fortunately, has not happened in a number of years.

[ForeverRoses]

I remember always hearing that the newspaper staff was anti-greek, but I don't remember too many articles that were. Granted it was a newspaper, so most of the news articles were about bad stuff that was happening- so when one fraternity's members threw another fraternity's member through his fraternity house front window, yeah there was an article about it- but it didn't come down on the greek system as a whole.

Then again, I don't think the newspaper could have been too anti-greek, since most of it's ads were paid for by the fraternities and sororities.

[chopperdude]

i am glad that at my school, the college is somewhat greek friendly. but i think that at many schools, the greeks cause their own problems. if they do then it grows like a cancer and some schools feel the need to cut it out our may even figure if it is ignored it will just go away. i never heard of advertising in a school newspaper. we never have and get articles in for the good that we try to do.

[WebGreek]

Originally Posted by chopperdude

i think that at many schools, the greeks cause their own problems. if they do then it grows like a cancer and some schools feel the need to cut it out our may even figure if it is ignored it will just go away.

I read an awful lot of student articles. I find the previously mentioned annual rants against Greek life, with the usual threadbare clichés ("paying for friends," "paying for parties," etc.), particularly distasteful. There is no legitimacy to these articles, and if you read them online, the comments after them are usually quite vehement in their condemnation of the message. Here's a great example: http://www.mndaily.com/2009/10/04/le...out-greek-life

However, as chopperdude puts it, sometimes Greeks cause their own problems. The Greek community is held to a higher standard and is examined under a microscope, because it is a segment of the campus population that is definable, visible, and not horribly politically incorrect to scapegoat.

It's a tough issue because it does little good to get Greeks into the student newspaper and write nothing but fawning adoration for the fraternities and sororities, as that further degrades the legitimacy of anything written in the paper in the first place, and the whole discussion dissolves into "us vs. them."

In the case of Bissell's article (linked above), it doesn't really pose a threat to the continued existence of the Greeks. But when things do go wrong and there's a reason to write about it, the community needs to do what it can to reconcile the issue and to point out that the contributions made by Greeks far outweigh the detriments. Or, if they don't, they need to work on making sure that they do.

[srmom]

I get the Daily Longhorn (UT's paper) and there is never any news about Greek life unless it's bad, ie risk management issues, etc. There is never an article about any philanthropy involvement, or anything about Greek activities, etc.

So, while I'd say they don't go out of their way to disparage Greek life, they don't give any column space to complement it either. But, that's what I'd expect in Austin..

At UF - the Independent Florida Alligator has a whole section on Greek Affairs, where they give both bad and good news, but the letters commenting are alway negative. At least the paper reports good things though.

[WebGreek]

A good way to get the papers to report philanthropy would be to send them a press release. Also would be a good way to get people to come to the event, if an article gets published beforehand. I know this isn't a revolutionary idea, but it is a way to be proactive about combating biased press coverage. If nothing gets published after a set of press releases, then you can cry foul.

[honeychile]

I recently sent an email to my school's Alumnae Directors. I receive mail which should be going to a house on the next street, but has the same numbered address. They get three different alumnae newsletters, which I leaf through before dropping them off at their proper destination. EACH ONE of them accepts and promotes Greek Life 2000% more than Pitt! In reporting Homecoming, the one actually listed everyone on Court, with their affiliations and sponsors. Pitt usually puts something like "a woman won Queen, and man won King". I told the Alumnae Directors that I just can't get Pitt Proud as their publications stand right now.

[Gusteau]

^^^That's a shame honeychile - especially since the homecoming king was a Delta Chi this year!!

[Low C Sharp]

I told the Alumnae Directors that I just can't get Pitt Proud as their publications stand right now.

Honeychile, when you drop off that wrongly delivered mail, ask your neighbors if they will let you have last month's newsletter. Send THOSE to your alumni office. I work in higher ed. When we get a complaint from an alum, sometimes there's merit to the complaint and sometimes there isn't (e.g., we get emails whining that we don't offer XYZ when we DO offer XYZ and promote it all over our web site). So an email alone may not prompt us to action. But if an alum sends us a publication from a peer school and points out that our publication is inferior, that changes the game. We try to be aware of what our peer schools are doing and stay ahead of the curve. You're likely to see improvement if you illustrate your argument this way.
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[TSteven]

Originally Posted by 33girl

How is it/was it at your school? Does the staff REALLY feel that negative about Greek life, or is it just a tactic to stir up controversy and get people interested in the paper?

Overall, the University of Kentucky's Greek Life is pretty much portrayed fairly in the campus press. I would say The Kentucky Kernel is neither anti-Greek or pro-Greek. Some years, there have been a significant number of reporters that were Greeks. Other years, not so much - if any. When a significant number of reporters belong to a GLO, the positive coverage of Greek Life is more prevalent. Otherwise, I would say reporters (i.e. independent ones) do not go out of their way to cover Greek Life that much. Instead, they simply report what is news or handed to them (*). Which can include the positive as noted in today's Kernel lead story.

Christmas wishes fulfilled: Greeks host party to give kids a holiday experience
By Garrett Wymer
Posted by News Staff on December 10, 2009
The Kentucky Kernel

Excerpt

It was a Christmas party, but it was an atmosphere of thanksgiving that decked the halls of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house Thursday night.

In an annual tradition, fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon joined sorority Alpha Omicron Pi in spreading the joy of Christmas with a holiday party for children and their families who otherwise might not get to experience it.

Spencer Merk, a business and management junior and member of SAE, was one of the organizers for the event, which invites families who might be struggling financially this holiday season.

“These are families who need a little help for Christmas,” he said. “We’re fortunate, and this is just something we can do to chip in a little bit, to give back to the community, to help these kids have a better Christmas.”

(*) To be clear, I do not feel the Kernel staff is lazy. Just that if they do not know to cover an event, then they can not report on it. Only the events or stories that are "out there" will be reported. And as the saying goes, bad news travels. But at the same time, I would add that the UK Greek Community does a pretty good job being proactive in getting the word out about upcoming events, community service, accomplishments etc.

[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.