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In its Sept. 24 story, “Not the last word on editorial,” the Rocky Mountain News reports that it is the policy of Colorado State University’s Board of Student Communications that “Profane and vulgar words are not acceptable for opinion writing” in the various media it publishes and oversees on the CSU campus, including the Rocky Mountain Collegian.
This policy is seriously flawed.
If an individual (such as the president of the United States of America, for example) either is profane or vulgar or commits such acts, not only is it a disservice to the reader, but it is a violation of journalistic integrity to use any words but profane and vulgar ones to describe this individual or the acts committed by him.
Whitewashing is not good journalism.

Mario DeBenedittis, Denver

READER COMMENTS

Hey Mario,

Don't you realize that in today's journalism school, all that is taught is to lie, lie and lie some more and the hell with the facts.

There is no teaching at Colorado Universities anymore. It's all about hate and dissrespect.

BZ to College Republicans (little ikemans and Future Draft-Dodgers of America). Mitt (conspired with his pappy to violate military relgion draft deferment ban), Bush (UCMJ-felon 40+ years AWOLee-deserter), and Alito (UCMJ-felon US Army ROTC AWOLee and deserter), should all be fired and jailed (Ft. Leavenworth, KS). If they were black, they would already be there.

I don't understand how the vulgar anti-Bush headline related to a John Kerry event that involved a Florida student. How do they connect? Was the headline written and selected before the story ever happened? Isn't the headline supposed to logically connect between itself and the story? If you just read the headline, what then could the reader assume the story may be about?

"F--- Bush, Taser That " and the story is about a football game? Is that not some kind of serious disconnect?

The "editor" had a childish, hate-Bush agenda and he abused his position while cheapening CSU in the process. At a minimum, this was very inferior journalism with a powerful application of immature childishness. Freedoms come with responsibilities, they are not unlimited. As evey child knows, you can't scream "fire" in a crowded theatre.

Fire the jerk.

??? Screaminf 'fire in a crowded theater' is nothing like a headline in a college newspaper...? Do you even think about your replies Hank? That makes no sense whatsoever. None. Its like you just react and type whatever comes into your head that you think of in a free association sort of contrariwise knee-jerk reply. I say 'up' you say 'down' etc. etc.

There's no true journalism anymore. This paper is a perfect example. They reprint AP and UPI items daily. "Journalists" never leave the confines of their offices. It's all just rehashed, reworded news. The same from one paper to another. That's not journalism.
We're constantly griping about "mega-corporations", yet the news industry is consolidating everyday into the the same conglomerates and we allow it to happen. If the message is the same from one paper to the next, where's the objectiveness? Where's the differing point of view?
"Profanity is the sign of a weak mind" Pretty much sums it up...
We force Howard Stern to satellite radio, Don Imus off the air for practicing the same behavior. Yet it's acceptable from an editorial page because it's "news"? And from our college "educated" youth?
Who are we kidding?
The first Amendment gives you the right to free speech, but no where in there does it give you the right to be heard. You say what ever the heck you want, but there's no guarantee of an audience to hear it.

Oliver, what in the world are you talking about? Have you ever heard the word "metaphor?" You must find the world very confusing.

Jim,

I'm a bit confused by your use of "metaphor". Do you mean that screaming "fire" in a theatre is somehow equivolent to printing a profanity in an editorial in a newspaper? Please explain.

The kid at CSU only told the truth. The current occupant of the White House is a mental midget and moral cretin. He deserves neither respect nor civility. This country can only improve when he is removed from the office he now occupies most illegaly

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