Editor, You have a responsibility to be accurate, dilligent, and objective. This article has no business having the title "Dining trays may cause students to waste more food". Most of the article gives reasons for why the test was not accurate, yet the title infers there is more of a probability that using trays results in more food wasted. Nona Golledge is right, there are so many variables that have to be accounted for in a study like this (the menu, weather, customers, etc.) that one day's test should not have been taken seriously. There are so many flaws with this study that I'm wondering why it warranted a newspaper article. I commend you for printing Nona Golledge's comments for accuracy of the study. The trend these days is to gather only the comments that buttress the story line. Once this is done, news transforms into becomming pure propaganda. You're half way there with this title. The purpose of a newspaper is to provide facts, not to attempt to further one's own beliefs. It's natural to try to persuede others to beleive as one does, but as a newspaper journalist/editor, you're #1 responsibility is to remain objective knowing that the temptation to persuede should be avaoided at the cost of losing your integrity. Lose your integrity, and you've lost all. The title of this article should have been "Food tray study incomplete" or "Infinite variables hinder food tray study" or "First day of one year food tray study begins". It may not be sexy, but it's accurate, objective, and truthful. D. Cook
Dining trays may cause students to waste more food
Editor,
You have a responsibility to be accurate, dilligent, and objective. This article has no business having the title "Dining trays may cause students to waste more food". Most of the article gives reasons for why the test was not accurate, yet the title infers there is more of a probability that using trays results in more food wasted. Nona Golledge is right, there are so many variables that have to be accounted for in a study like this (the menu, weather, customers, etc.) that one day's test should not have been taken seriously. There are so many flaws with this study that I'm wondering why it warranted a newspaper article.
I commend you for printing Nona Golledge's comments for accuracy of the study. The trend these days is to gather only the comments that buttress the story line. Once this is done, news transforms into becomming pure propaganda. You're half way there with this title.
The purpose of a newspaper is to provide facts, not to attempt to further one's own beliefs. It's natural to try to persuede others to beleive as one does, but as a newspaper journalist/editor, you're #1 responsibility is to remain objective knowing that the temptation to persuede should be avaoided at the cost of losing your integrity. Lose your integrity, and you've lost all. The title of this article should have been "Food tray study incomplete" or "Infinite variables hinder food tray study" or "First day of one year food tray study begins". It may not be sexy, but it's accurate, objective, and truthful.
D. Cook
April 26, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )