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      Editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Opinions
      expressed
      in
      this
      column
      do
      not
      necessarily
     
     
      reflect
      those
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      this
      production
      or
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Love
      it
      or
      hate
      it,
      the
      media
      is
      an
      amazing
      thing.
      In
      a
      world
     
     
      where
      everything
      from
      telecommunications
      to
      faxes
      makes
     
     
      widespread
      communication
      something
      taken
      for
      granted,
      the
     
     
      people
      who
      report
      on
      the
      world
      are
      now
      better
      equipped
      than
     
     
      ever
      to
      tell
      the
      world
      about
      itself.
      Therein
      lies
      a
      quirky
     
     
      paradox:
      Who
      in
      the
      world
      reports
      on
      the
      world,
      and
      who
      in
     
     
      the
      world
      can
      tell
      whether
      or
      not
      the
      reporters
      are
      right?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      power
      of
      the
      media
      to
      shape
      people’s
      knowledge
      of
      and
     
     
      feelings
      for
      an
      issue
      is
      something
      both
      awesome
      and
      subtle,
     
     
      and
      a
      good
      example
      can
      be
      found
      within
      our
      own
      little
      world
     
     
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      regarding
      the
      recent
      alleged
      sexual
     
     
      assault
      at
      Marion
      Hall.
      Before
      the
      media
      began
      poking
     
     
      around,
      the
      bulk
      of
      the
      university
      community
      was
      blissfully
     
     
      ignorant
      of
      the
      matter
      apart
      from
      the
      odd
      rumour
      in
      the
      days
     
     
      following
      the
      incident.
      Everything
      changed
      on
      the
      Monday
     
     
      following
      the
      alleged
      assault
      as
      media
      coverage
      exploded
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      gate
      that
      evening,
      television
      and
      radio
      news
     
     
      jockeying
      for
      position
      as
      they
      broke
      the
      story
      to
      an
      unsus-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pecting
      public.
      People
      were
      stunned.
      Students
      wandered
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      halls
      in
      shock
      that
      evening
      and
      for
      days
      to
      come,
      trying
      to
     
     
      figure
      out
      what
      happened
      and
      why.
      They
      weren’talone.
     
     
      More
      than
      a
      few
      administration
      officials
      also
      got
      their
      first
     
     
      wakeup
      calls
      from
      the
      media
      as
      Monday
      morning
      brought
      the
     
     
      pitter-patter
      of
      reporters’
      feet
      to
      campus.
      The
      President
      was
     
     
      questioned
      even
      before
      he
      left
      town
      that
      day.
      The
      publicity
     
     
      department
      scrambled
      to
      figure
      out
      what
      was
      going
      on.
      The
     
     
      Student
      Council
      President
      found
      out
      about
      the
      incident
      from
     
     
      the
      evening
      news.
      In
      the
      space
      of
      twenty-four
      hours
      the
     
     
      entire
      university
      community
      was
      struggling
      to
      cope
      with
      the
     
     
      Situation,
      a
      situation
      that
      had
      been
      brought
      to
      light
      by
      the
     
     
      media.
      Now
      that’s
      power.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      the
      power
      of
      the
      press
      is
      formidable,
      it
      isn’t
      always
      a
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Positive
      thing.
      No
      one
      can
      deny
      the
      importance
      of
      the
      press
     
     
      in
      keeping
      the
      general
      public
      informed;
      in
      this
      case
      it
      is
     
     
      media
      attention
      that
      sparked
      student
      outrage
      and
      was
      largely
     
     
      responsible
      for
      forcing
      the
      administration
      to
      seek
      plans
      of
     
     
      action
      as
      soon
      as
      they
      did.
      It
      has
      gone
      further
      than
      that,
     
     
      though,
      in
      that
      the
      campus
      itself
      became
      news,
      not
      just
      the
     
     
      event.
      Reports
      and
      opinions
      on
      who
      did
      or
      didn’t
      do
      this
      or
     
     
      that
      filter
      into
      the
      public
      and
      affect
      our
      judgement.
      The
     
     
      controversy
      in
      the
      news
      over
      who
      should
      have
      handled
      the
     
     
      Police
      investigation
      and
      the
      subsequent
      entry
      of
      city
      police
     
     
      into
      the
      matter,
      has
      led
      many
      to
      believe
      that
      the
      university’s
     
     
      Security
      force
      was
      inadequate
      for
      the
      task;
      however,
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      report
      recently
      released
      by
      the
      city
      police
      themselves
     
     
      praises
      the
      university
      security
      force
      for
      their
      excellent
     
     
      handling
      of
      the
      matter.
      It
      makes
      you
      wonder
      what
      you’re
     
     
      supposed
      to
      believe,
      and
      that’s
      something
      we
      should
      always
     
     
      be
      asking
      ourselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      media
      can
      only
      report
      what
      they
      know,
      and
      they
      don’t
     
     
      know
      everything.
      We
      don’t
      really
      know
      anything
      abut
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      crime
      because
      we
      weren’t
      there.
      We
      don’t
      know
      anything
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      about
      the
      investigation
      because
      it’s
      ongoing
      and
      hence
     
    
   
   
    
     
      secret.
      We
      know
      only
      what
      we
      hear
      and
      as
      responsible
     
     
      citizens
      we
      should
      not
      be
      too
      quick
      to
      draw
      conclusions
     
     
      about
      it
      until
      we
      have
      items
      of
      unquestionable
      fact.
      We
     
     
      should
      always
      be
      intelligent
      enough
      to
      question
      what
      we
     
     
      hear.
      The
      media
      is
      invaluable
      tool
      for
      informing
      the
      public,
     
     
      but
      we
      should
      not
      blindly
      assume
      it
      to
      be
      the
      wellspring
      of
     
     
      all
      truth,
      especially
      when
      we
      are
      confronted
      by
      issues
      as
     
     
      serious
      as
      those
      now
      facing
      our
      community.
      While
      the
      ©
     
     
      media
      can
      bea
      priceless
      guide
      in
      forming
      our
      judgements,
     
     
      we
      must
      always
      remember
      to
      not
      let
      it
      make
      our
      judgements.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
     
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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