Kathryn Hodge is a senior art history major at Truman State University.
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I saw The Index’s article about budget cuts, and many subsequent letters to the editor arguing that less frequent printing of The Index would be majorly detrimental for students and the local community. I would consider myself an Index reader because it is where I go to find campus news, but I disagree with this stance, and how the situation was handled in the article entitled “Our View: Cutting The Index cuts the journalism track.” Right now, everyone at Truman is feeling the effects of budget cuts, and we’ve all had to be understanding and make sacrifices.
First, saying that the journalism track should be cut was insensitive to the students and faculty whose programs actually have been cut, such as myself. This article was unable to prove how print journalism is superior to online journalism, which is central to the argument. For the record, I have always read Index articles online. I have never picked up a paper and have never seen anyone else with one.
Additionally, there were no source citations for the claims that The Index is the primary news source for the Kirksville community. This article has inspired some very passionate pleas on the Index’s behalf, but it is unclear if the claims in the original article are even entirely true, which is not good journalism.
This reaction seemed extreme considering that The Index will still exist, and will still be printed, just less frequently. If the argument is being made that it is not appropriate to make cuts at the Index, then the article should have provided an alternative solutions, otherwise this is not being productive. $20,000 must be cut from the communication department’s budget, and unless anyone can provide an alternative for where that money should come from, the arguments that are being made will not prevent these cuts from being made. Yes, The Index is an important Truman tradition, but why is it less valid if published online?
I understand what it is like when something close to your heart is affected by budget cuts. However, this was not an appropriate way to respond. This article should have been based on a productive argument, and provided reliable sources for its claims.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Hodge