Last week’s front page found the Greek organization Delta Kappa Epsilon in trouble.
While we acknowledge this is “bad press” for the Greek community, we also assert The Reveille did not create this negative publicity.
Another article about a fraternity getting into trouble brings about the regular critics who say The Reveille does not give enough coverage to positive events, such as community service projects. They say we instead focus more on negative things in the Greek world, such as alcohol violations or hazing.
This is a big misconception, and if one were to sort through our back issues, it would be clear The Reveille gives balanced coverage to the Greek community on many positive, newsworthy topics.
We are not creating a bad reputation for Greek organizations by reporting on a fraternity removed from campus. The organizations themselves cause the bad publicity by breaking the rules and getting caught, and we think they should take responsibility for their actions. If they don’t want bad press, they shouldn’t violate the rules.
We don’t cover bad issues because we enjoy “making fun” of Greeks. When a fraternity is put on probation or kicked off campus, it is newsworthy and we will not hesitate to report it.
We know bad press for Greeks can cause other Greeks to be unfairly stereotyped, but groups and people are unfairly stereotyped all the time.
We do recognize those Greeks who break the unfair “partying” stereotype through their volunteer work – giving back to the community.
Few people remember our coverage of the bigger events, such as Songfest, Miss LSU and the Watermelon Bust. We’ve written about a teacher holding office hours in a fraternity house and the Greek Awards highlighting the “Best of” the Greek community. Many of these events are featured prominently, often on the front page.
But the good often is forgotten in the shadow of the bad. People remember scandals and controversy, but they may not remember who won the Miss LSU pageant last year.
There are 34 Greek organizations on campus, and each participates in several community service projects and fund-raising activities each semester. It would be impossible for The Reveille to write about all of these events.
We do our best to cover the most significant or newsworthy events, which sometimes include negative aspects of the Greek community.
There seems to be a heightened awareness of Greeks on campus in light of those who break the rules. Once one group gets into trouble, students and administrators may pay more attention to the Greek community.
The Reveille, too, is paying attention. And though we know our coverage of Greeks will not make everyone happy, we will continue to report newsworthy Greek events, whether the news is good or bad.