How’s our reporting?
COMMENTARY
Kelly Morris

We’ve all seen that bumper sticker on the car or truck in front of us while we’re driving — the one that says, “How’s my driving?” and has a phone number underneath it to call if that driving is not so good.

If we see that car or truck drive recklessly, some of us might reach for our cell phone and report the driver. Some may not.

I have never done it myself, but I wish I did. How are people ever going to know if you don’t tell them, even if only one person does?

I’m asking a favor of you.

Today is the TCU Daily Skiff’s first issue of the fall 2003 semester, and my first time as the newspaper’s editor in chief. The Skiff doesn’t have a bumper sticker, but if it did, I think it would say this: How’s our reporting?

Too many times I hear people gripe about the Skiff’s coverage as I’m walking in The Main or to my next class. We can’t improve just by our staff’s ideas alone. If you have a problem with something we’re doing, tell us. If you have an interesting story idea, tell us. If you feel like we didn’t handle an article fairly, please tell us.

We spend endless hours on a newspaper that runs four days a week. We want to produce the best newspaper we can, but we can only get better by the feedback, good or bad, that we get from the people who read it.

This semester’s editorial staff is comprised of six females and five males. Some have never been editors before. Some have, but we all have the same goal — to work together to produce a great product. But our product is a little different. Our staff is still getting its feet wet. We’re students. We’re learning how to be better editors, reporters, designers, copy editors and columnists every day. Sometimes we make mistakes, but I want to make sure we are held accountable for those mistakes.

To produce the best newspaper we can, our staff will work hard on going where the story is. We want to meet the people we are writing about face to face and see the issue that is unfolding with our own eyes. We’re making an effort to come to you. I hope you will return the favor. Also, I want our coverage to go beyond the TCU campus. Our staff will work hard on covering stories affecting the TCU community.

And don’t think you have to be a journalism major to contribute to our product. We are always in need of writers. Do you like sports? Come write about them. I have two sports editors who will greet you with open arms. Do you have an opinion, but don’t know the best place to convey it? Write something for our opinion page.

Later this week, you will read about how the men’s basketball team is handling its recent NCAA violations, violations that came to light during the summer when the Skiff was not in publication. Some of you may have heard about these violations in early August, but for others, it’s new information. To inform our audience, we may have to revisit stories because we were not in publication to report them during the summer.

I’m opening the line of communication to you. Communicate.

Kelly Morris is a senior news-editorial journalism major from Arlington. She can be reached at (k.l.morris@tcu.edu)