Two weeks ago, we published an editorial that implemented the use of the word “f–king” in it. The article sparked a reaction from university students, faculty and administration. The Quad, as stated within the masthead on the second page of every issue we publish, does not necessarily condone or agree with any of the editorial pieces we publish. Nor do we discuss, analyze or argue for or against any author’s writing. With this letter, we hope to explain how our forum section operates, and the policies and goals of The Quad.First and foremost, we are quite proud that The Quad is and operates as an independent student newspaper. We are free of any and all censorship or prior review of the content we publish each week. Our advisor, Dr. Philip A. Thompsen does not edit, read, or approve the content we lay out on Sunday afternoons.
The Quad is funded in part by the full-time students attending West Chester University (via the “student activities fee”). For this reason, we seek to publish a paper that is student-content driven, student-run and student-managed.
The editorial board of The Quad is proud to exercise our rights not only as journalists, but also as citizens of the United States of America. While we recognize our first amendment rights to speak freely and to publish that free speech, we also use caution while exercising those rights. The decision was made by the editorial board to adopt a policy of avoiding censorship of the forum section. The policy states that we will not censor, edit, or in any way alter editorials submitted to us for publication unless:
-the writing is incoherent or is grammatically or
punctually incorrect;
-the author is not verified as a credible member of the university community;
-the writing is demeaning, demoting, or
derogatory;
-the writing inflicts harm or pain;
-the writing is libelous.
We believe that our policy is comprehensive and appropriate for a college newspaper.
The Quad is a member of The Associated Collegiate Press. As such, we follow the ACP’s policies and honor their code of ethics. That code states:
“Freedom of expression and debate by means of a free and vigorous student media are essential to the effectiveness of an educational community in a democratic society.”
Finally, as the student newspaper that represents this fine university, we stride to accurately depict the student body as one which is intelligent, influential and integral to the community. We hope the news we report is timely, the opinions we showcase are controversial and the newspaper we bring to you 24 weeks a year is respectable. We certainly try our hardest to make this happen and welcome any comments, questions, concerns, or advice from our readers. With 5,000 issues hitting the stands every week, we are the voice of this university and we encourage everyone to have their voice be heard.
We appreciate the student body’s continued support of The Quad and we will continue to work to bring West Chester University the best quality student newspaper possible.
Signed,
The Editorial Board of The Quad