A Letter From the Editor

by Amber Rivard

Dear readers,

4C’s is a tight-knit community. It is inevitable for a reporter to be involved in the various clubs and events we cover. As a journalist, ethics and serving the readers are some of the many things that are always at the forefront. So how do we handle this?

• Conflict of interest: Something we must always be aware of. An example of this would be if a reporter writes a story about a club they participate in, this would be perceived as self-serving. That is not the business we are in. You could not write a play review if your best friend is in the play.

• Serve the reader: Just because a reporter is involved in a story does not mean we forget about it. It means we find someone with no involvement to cover the story. Not reporting on an important event would mean we are not serving you. We always make it a priority to provide the information that is important for you to know.

• Transparency: This is why I am writing this letter. We do not shove things under the rug. If we are covering an event where one of the reporters is a prominent figure, you are the first to know. You will find a sentence in the story letting you know a reporter is involved in the event. For example, the 4C’s Honors Club is hosting a spring toy drive for kids who live in family shelters owned by Housing Assistance Corporation. I am one of the drive’s organizers.

So how did we handle the 4C’s Honors Club toy drive story?

I knew my involvement created a conflict of interest. After discussing it with MainSheet adviser Tim Miller, we assigned someone else to report on the toy drive. That way we could still serve the readers, without any conflict. At the bottom of the story will be a transparency statement. This is to let readers know of my involvement.  

We hope you will enjoy this story and others in this issue.

Amber Rivard

Editor-in-chief

The MainSheet

(Amber Rivard)

Categories: Featured, Editorials