Editorial Board Response

Dear Readers,  

When publishing last week’s issue, the editorial board failed to catch harmful sentiments expressed in the article “Colonial Reckoning in Middle East” before the piece went to print. The piece did not go against The Hill News editorial policy, nor did it get interpreted as hate speech or as inciting violence. Initially, the author submitted the piece as a News segment, and the editorial board decided it would better fit in the Opinions section. It is THN policy for section editors to review articles, and due to this switch in sections, members of the editorial board incorrectly assumed that the article was thoroughly reviewed. Despite the circumstances, this is still no excuse. The article incorrectly generalized Palestine and the Middle East through the lens of the Hamas militant group and lacked the necessary context and nuance to convey the author’s point. This should have been flagged by reviewing parties. Although the article had no ill intention, the impact was severe. During layout, the editorial board failed to predict the negative impact the article would have on students. We published the article without fully understanding the effect it would have on the campus community. 

The Hill News, as an institution, does not endorse the viewpoints contained within any opinion article. Our goal is to provide a voice for the St. Lawrence University student population, but we cannot accomplish this without free speech and writers of varying opinions and backgrounds. If you want your voice to be heard, say something. In the days after the eighth issue of THN was distributed, mysteriously, only two newsstands had remaining copies. The removal of papers from stands is not a productive conversation: it negatively impacts the student community that pays for and produces the paper. If there is cause for an article to be taken down, let us know. We want to listen.  

Sincerely,  

The Editorial Board