> > > This one guy wanted to write an article about how the
school won't let us use the A:\ drives...I said, "No, that's
really stupid and no one will read it."
> >
> > Question: Why won't people read it? Is it because they
already know why the school doesn't allow this, or is it
because you think they'll find it boring? In the former case,
this might not be true. I'm sure there are quite a few
students that only know the rule, not the reasons behind it.
In the latter case, it might bore some students, but not all of
them.
> >
> > Ell"Wait until you get paid to do the Journalism
stuff...more work, but still an amazing experience"myruh
>
> I think telling the actual reasons behind it would be too ...
uncomplimentary ... toward the tech staff. Plus, (at least if I
were writing it) it would note that we really can use the A
drives, and in reality they are only claiming that the drives
won't work anymore. Somehow, I don't think they would
appreciate that revelation.
>
> gab"And they might make the A drives truly not work,
stymieing my efforts to actually do homework"by

Hold on a minute. Are you doing public relations work for
the computer department, or are you a journalist? A
journalist is supposed to present unbiased, factual
information to the public. Yes, I know this doesn't always
happen as it should, but each journalist should keep this
goal in mind and never forget it. One of the reasons why
journalists are hated so much is because they step on toes.
They expose things that others are trying to hide.

It's a fact that if you are going to be a journalist, people are
going to really not like some of the things you write.
However, you must be fair to all parties involved. In not
writing the story about the computer department, you are
covering up for them. You are no longer being unbiased
because you are taking their side.

The part that really stood out to me was your last line.
You're knowingly keeping this story from the public in order
to suit your own purposes. You want to use the A drives, so
you are consciously choosing to NOT write a story on them.
That is one of the worst things a journalist can do, and it is
also another reason that people hate journalists. In covering
up a story for personal gain, you are insulting all other
journalists.

I know this is a high school paper, and not The Washington
Post, but it is the perfect place to learn and sort out issues
such as this. You may not like the idea, but I really do think
this A drive story is important. The computer lab employees
are blatantly lying to the students and saying that these
drives do not work? That seems extremely wrong to me.
For that matter, why ARE they lying about it? Are they
worried about viruses on floppy disks? If that is the case,
what about viruses spread by email? In addition, why do
YOU need to use the A drive? You can email yourhomework
to yourself and just store it on the Internet until you get to a
computer where you can back it up on a floppy disk.

Ell"Desperately wanting to prove that there ARE honest
journalists out there"myruh
.