THE TRANSITION from old to new staff at The Cavalier Daily is going fairly smoothly, with a few bumps along the road. Bumps are to be expected with new folks in higher roles of responsibility, and, as such, I look forward to watching the staff hone its talents.
Headlines last week were a bit, well, weak, as new writers took over the responsibility. I've offered advice on headline writing before, so I don't want to spend too much time in this space doing the same, but new associates would be wise to remember to keep their headlines as descriptive and accurate as they can in the little space they are allotted. Monday's "Plan would integrate city, students" admittedly was a tough headline to write, but it doesn't give readers much insight as to who or what the lead article of that day's paper is really about. Headlines need to match the article as closely as possible. That same day, a piece called "Bid Night less unruly than in previous years" gave no specifics as to what unruly behavior had been reported in past years.
The staff has instituted a few immediate changes (as outlined in a lead editorial Wednesday), including the elimination of the above-the-masthead teaser that leads readers into the newspaper. This has been replaced with an "Inside" box on the bottom of the front page, which can entice readers with three blurbs concerning articles inside the paper. This better illustrates the variety located inside the issue.
Other changes are more substantial. The Business page has been eliminated as it "did not hold wide enough appeal." Axing a section is always a tough decision, especially one that has been around for a number of years. Truthfully, however, the Business page has served little purpose recently, as its last update concerning the University was on Nov. 10. It has run mostly Associated Press articles. AP pieces are fine, but a section must work hard to relate its content to its audience -- in our case, the University community. If only nationwide stories are run, the section loses its connection with its mostly local readers. Certainly many members of the University community keep their eyes on the world of business, and I trust that the Nation World and News sections will do their best to not let important business pieces fall through the cracks. Just because the Business banner has been eliminated does not mean that the content it could have delivered should be similarly dumped. I urge the staff to keep that in mind as the page goes extinct.
Replacing the Business page is a new section, Health & Sexuality. The Health & Science section has been simply renamed Science. Today's paper features the first Health & Sex page, and I look forward to reading it. Articles under that banner can feature tricky subjects to tackle, and, from talking to the managing board, the CD is ready to take on the challenge in an edgy yet simultaneously tactful manner. Admittedly, I have my reservations, as the subject matter in the new section seems like a fit for the old Health & Science section and the Life and News pages. However, I welcome the possibility to be proven unnecessarily skeptical. I do think that the kinds of articles proposed for the section, those that feature "general health issues that students face every day, from nutrition and sex to exercise and depression," are ones that would be of great benefit to the University community, if they are approached appropriately. I salute Whitney Garrison for stepping up to the challenge, and wish her the best as she navigates through the trials of developing a new department.
The new staff has done a good job following the numerous twists and turns of the Democratic primaries, in the Focus, Nation World and Opinion sections. Thursday's Opinion pages featured a plethora of pieces from various members of organizations around Grounds supporting the various candidates. While I value the effort to reach out to such groups and give them a chance to voice their opinions in the CD, reading their pieces made me appreciate more the writing of the Opinion section's own writers, who honestly do a much better job organizing and delivering their thoughts. Zeal can often make writing difficult, as praise is perhaps hardest to articulate.
The lead editorial that day succeeded in that endeavor, as it was a political obituary of sorts for Howard Dean. It commended him for his willingness to speak his mind as well as his campaign's ability to contribute to the "reinvigoration of the Democratic nomination process." The editorial went on to support Sen. John Edwards in two short paragraphs as the man who should nab the Democratic nomination. Two paragraphs for an endorsement is a bit paltry, and I hope that the staff in the future steps it up and investigates the promise of an Edwards nomination in as much space as it did Dean's likely demise.
What do you think of the staff's work so far, and its new plans? Drop me a line.
(Emily Kane can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.)
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