My first weeks as Daily Cardinal editor in chief in May 2008 were an unforgettable exercise in frustration and fuck up-ery: Merely weeks into the job, the Cardinal had a boycott on its hands.
I kid you not, days into my reign I had already managed to alienate a portion of our university by running a comic strip for the student orientation issue that, though misunderstood, was taken by a vocal minority as irredeemably offensive and unwelcoming.
Thus, our ""welcome"" issue to SOAR students and parents had hit its mark about as well as if we'd hired Klansmen to hand them out personally.
Yeah, it was pretty annoying and discouraging, to be honest. But it was, in retrospect, a great primer for what would be one of my essential responsibilities as editor: conflict resolution.
We organized a sit-down meeting with Dean of Students Lori Berquam and leadership from the Multicultural Student Coalition to address the snafu and discuss it semi-rationally.
Did we see eye-to-eye on it? No. Not really. But we came to an understanding and took steps to repair the damage and move forward. The Cardinal successfully averted the disapproving frowns of the culturally smitten, and the ignominious comic that started it all became the most popular on campus—The Graph Giraffe.
As editor of a UW college newspaper, you spend a lot of your time cleaning up messes. The Cardinal is a learning institution, and we screw up. Plenty. And as much as you revel in the victories and awards we earn, as editor the buck falls to you to mediate with unhappy readers or disgruntled staff members when conflicts pop up.
So, why would I continue writing for the Cardinal having graduated and entered the professional world of journalism? Why wouldn't I be thrilled to simply let such harrowing memories wade through the recesses of my subconscious undisturbed?
Well, for one, I loved every minute of it. Even the bad parts. I served as Daily Cardinal editor in chief from May, 2008 to May, 2009, and I've been a part of the Cardinal organization since I was a sophomore in 2006. If I had to do it over again, the only thing I'd do differently is start working for the Cardinal as a freshman.
The truth is, I'm writing this as much for the Cardinal as I am for you—because it's a column that I believe is a necessary service to our audience.
I'm as passionate about the Cardinal as I am about the
University of Wisconsin, and I'll be writing this occasional (ombudsman / public editor) column from my love and pride for each institution and my sincere desire to see their respective communities not simply coexist but mutually thrive.
Simply put: It's something I wish we'd had when I was the Cardinal's editor.
Someone to hold us accountable and serve as an arbiter between the staff and the community when conflicts do arise.
As the year progresses, I hope to serve as that liaison between the readers and the Cardinal staff.
When criticisms of the paper and differences of opinion inevitably surface, from time to time I'll weigh in on it from the perspective of a former editor who understands the Cardinal operation inside and out, but also as a former UW student who expects quality journalism from the campus papers.
I'll be evaluating the Cardinal's impact on the community as a professional journalist with real-world experience, a former editor whose seen it all, both good and bad, and from a former student whose had to read it all—both good and bad.
By no means mistake me for a press agent of the Cardinal. Ask any Cardinal staffer who knows me: I call it how I see it. I love this paper, but I have high standards for it. I want to hold it accountable and provide constructive criticism to help it improve.
If you have a concern about the paper or its coverage, I want to hear about it. Planning on boycotting the Cardinal? I definitely want to hear about it.
Chances are we won't always see eye-to-eye. But I hope to provide a balanced perspective that helps you better understand the Cardinal and its role on campus.
Alex Morrell will begin reporting for the Green Bay Press Gazette in October. Please send all feedback to ombudsman@dailycardinal.com.
