Another "Response From The Editor"

I received another letter which I am unable to reprint because it was not signed. (Our submissions policy requires all published letters, articles, etc. to be signed, although the author may remain anonymous in print.) However, I am going to respond to this letter, as I have no other means of contacting the writer of this letter, and this person deserves a response. I apologize to other readers who will be hearing only one end of a conversation, but some of the matters may be of interest, so you’re welcome to.eavesdrop.

Thank-you very much, "Concerned Journalism Student", for bringing your opinions to my attention, and for being so specific and articulate about your ideas. I would like to explain the "obvious problems" you pointed out, as there is more than meets the eye. The CFS article you assumed to be taken from CFS News, was not. Hence, no source was quoted. I already realize the norm is to insert ads on the left-side page, not the right, and every effort is being made to do this as much as possible. The ONLY time ads are ever inserted on the right-side page is when the paying advertiser requests specific placement of the ad on a particular page, and pays a premium for this special request. We do spend a lot of time and effort considering the optimal locations and proper layout of every piece in this publication; nothing is ever just "slapped" in to fit space.

Contrary to your statement of "The Far Side" being run in virtuously every newspaper in the Maritimes...’ (I assume you meant "virtually"), this strip is not available in any other paper on PEI, according to Miller Features, the syndicate which distributes "The Far Side" in Canada. The fact that this strip was unavailable anywhere else was exactly why this strip was chosen. "Calvin and Hobbes" is available on a limited basis from The Evening Patriot. However, we take care to ensure

the particular strips which we run are different :

from those run in the Patriot.

I must agree with you that content is an on-going

problem, as is with any publication. However, it is also a top priority with me, and every effort is being made to improve upon this. Perhaps when you compare to other publications, this does not have as much to read, but I do believe that when compared to previous UPEI publications, we are steadily, (if slowly!) improving, in both the quantity and quality of content. I think it is much fairer to compare us to UPEI newspapers of past years, than to compare us to "The Globe and Mail". For example, in the past four issues, we’ve had eight articles which involved our reporters interviewing people directly related to UPEI; an average of two articles per issue. When I examined last year’s papers of corresponding dates, I failed to find a single article in any of the four issues which involved an interview of any kind, or reporter for that matter. Also, it has been a long time since editorials were a regular feature. I don’t mean to knock last year’s paper, I could make the same comparison between our fourth issue and our very first issue. We strive to improve, not only on last year’s paper, but on our own work as well. We will never be perfect, but we can keep getting better.

You are more than welcome to attend our brain- storming sessions any Tuesday at 7:00. pm. Thank- you for your comments. I have a fairly good idea who you are, and realize you have a _ hectic schedule this year, so I doubly appreciate you © taking time out to inform me of your concerns, and thanks to everyone else who didn’t read this person’s letter, doesn’t know what I’m _ talking about, but patiently read this anyway!

October 4, 1990

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