Critical thinking

An expected part of journalistic life is that someone, somewhere, will not be happy with a story you write.

It's guaranteed, much like death and taxes.

You have to have a thick skin and faith in what you write (not to mention the facts).

I had learned to develop that thick skin through my time in the U.S. Army. I really did not think that commentary on any story I would write would worm its way under that skin and tick me off.

Then I read the commentary concerning my story "Student Groups exploit general fee fund" at TNR online, and realized I was not as steeled against criticism as I thought.

The crux of the story was that Student Government passed a bill allowing them to eat one evening at the Catskeller after a meeting. This was with the purpose of strengthening camaraderie while having a meal. However, it was done using funds from SGA's operating budget, which comes from the general fee funds associated with tuition, which.......

Comes from you, the student body.

They had dinner on your dime, and did not even extend the invite to you.

Seems kind of unnecessary in these times of financial hardship, don't you think?

I can handle criticism that makes sense. In this case, a particular Student Senator and his argument makes no sense. He goes on record as saying the dinner was not necessary and that the money could have gone to something better.

Then he lays into me for writing the story. Accuses TNR of writing below-average stories on a weekly basis. Questions why I didn't mention the collection taken up for Haiti at the dinner by SGA members who wanted to pay for their own meal. Questions whether TNR is as effective use of funds as SGA is. Insinuates that I over-dramatized the story just to attract readers.

Bah, humbug!

Yet he fails to mention how the University Funding Board (an arm of SGA) doesn't account for operating budget spending by other student groups.

Fails to mention that aforementioned senator told me they weren't sure if the collection for Haiti was actually taken. I'm not going to write about a "might have happened".

Fails to mention that SGA spent almost as much on dinner as the operating budget allocated for other student groups.

When taken into perspective, it makes me question the ethical and moral compass of SGA.

That's my rebuttal. Take it or leave it. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to take $300 dollars of your student money and used it on dinner at Boca because it would make me a better writer, I would be accused with misuse of funds, theft, whatever you could charge me with.

And the student body would want to know about it.

How is what SGA did any different?

Chew on that one for a while.

I was once told in the army, where my job was as a military policeman, that "if the inmates are mad at you, that means you're doing your job right".

I believe that theory is a good one.

As far as TNR being an effective use for funds, well, who would keep an eye on these things for the students if we weren't around?

-James