Editor, The Channels

In response to the editorial “Responsibility” in the November 5th edition of The Channels, I would like to say a few words on the polarity between the two conflicting views brought up in that editorial.

The individual who wrote the editorial (who remained anonymous) upon defending The Channels on their recent documentation of the realties of Isla Vista parties due to a recent complaint from a concerned mother, takes a very “higher than thou” stance on the subject.

Nevertheless, I completely understand that in no way should The Channels be blamed for simply reporting on the scandalous actions of certain college students.

In fact I commend the writers for continuing the spirit of the progressive “muckraking” journalists of the early 1900’s and exposing the truth behind what really goes on in Isla Vista.

Yet, I believe that perhaps the idea behind “Responsibility” was a bit misdirected. The article quickly strays from the question of how much responsibility The Channels has in what they publish.

It instead promptly and somewhat superciliously states each individual knows the consequences of their actions and goes on further to blame the media and fashion industry for the outcome of a sex-obsessed society, in which all these partying college students seem to be the spawn of. Whoa, back up a minute.

Weren’t you going to talk about the responsibility of The Channels as a publication?

It seems the article instead decided to blame everyone and everything for a lack of responsibility except themselves.

Yes, sex does sell in the media and I realize that this needs to be accepted as fact, regardless how one feels about it.

However, does The Channels need to cover sex because of this? Drizunk.com and CollegeFuckFest.com have been mentioned so much in the last two editions, I would to believe that those respective websites are probably getting a lot more hits lately.

It seems almost that our school newspaper might be acting as an effective free advertisement for these websites. Is this responsible?

Despite the “in the back with our shirts on” stance that you take, The Channels is apart and closely associated with the very media that the editorial blames.

Even though you cater to a small circulation of City College students, staff, and apparently parents, you still are a small representation of bigger media.

Your high coverage of such issues as Halloween in Isla Vista is only falling for the same stereotypical commercialism of sex that the editorial blames. Don’t belittle us by saying you hold some higher, better perspective than the rest of us.

We all have fallen to sexual commercialism and we all have supported it at some point as well. How much coverage does the party scene in Isla Vista really need?

What about an article on what people do who didn’t go to Isla Vista on Halloween! I am a City College student who regularly reads and enjoys The Channels; I think it is a great publication.

I am in no way trying to defend the devastated mother, nor am I blaming The Channels for their coverage of the realities of what went on. Merely I am trying to find a middle ground between these two differences while expressing my concern for the tone of which this subject has been written upon.

Simply view this as a personal constructive critique from a City College student. The Channels does have a responsibility, and they should exercise that accountability in every word (or picture) they print.

– Saxon Baird,
City College student