In response to public feedback on the guest viewpoint, Memoirs of a student-criminal, the warning of a University of Oregon student convicted of sexual assault that ran just over a week ago, we feel that it’s important that we discuss our policy on publishing guest viewpoints.
The Emerald strives to serve the community by facilitating constructive, diverse discussions that further the diffusion of knowledge and facilitate informed debate on campus.
Our opinion page provides a platform for those discussions, both through columns written by our staff and guest viewpoints submitted by members of the university community.
Publishing submissions that we believe will add a constructive viewpoint to campus discussion allows us to explore ideas and perspectives that might not generate organically on staff. These perspectives are an important way to give voice to the variety of viewpoints held by our community members.
Based on these principles, the editorial board decided to publish the letter Memoirs of a student-criminal because we found value both in its illumination of a viewpoint (that of a convicted perpetrator speaking out against the violent crime) that had not yet been discussed during our prior coverage of sexual assault and in its capacity as a warning.
The author’s message in Memoirs is simple: Don’t commit sexual assault. Before publishing the letter, we reviewed the contents carefully, had discussions with law enforcement to ensure that the survivor had read the letter and approved it for publication and removed a word we found to skew the contents of the message.
The author’s opinion is in no way the only viewpoint we’ve paid attention to.
Last spring, we published a letter from the survivor of a sexual assault. We’ve published letters and guest commentaries from campus organizations such as Safe Ride, the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team and others. In the coming months, we hope to receive additional opinion pieces exploring this and other facets of university life. That is our service to our community.
Many of you have spoken up with opinions about the letter — we appreciate your feedback.
We encourage you to continue directing guest commentary to letters@dailyemerald.com, indicating in the email whether or not you’d like the submission considered for publication.
Whether your piece is published or not depends on the Emerald’s editorial standards surrounding libel and educational value of the opinion submitted.
Please note that the decision to run the piece in print is not meant to indicate its importance or priority over another submission, rather our perception of how the addition of the piece will complement the overall package of that day’s print edition.
The Emerald aims to encourage a sphere for social discourse, engaged discussion and citizen involvement. We strive to make college better. And your voice is an essential part of that mission.
Note: Memoir of a student-criminal was published in the Nov. 3 print edition of Emerald Monday under the headline “I had made a mistake.”