When an error is made in The Reflector, it is our responsibility and philosophy to correct it as soon as possible. A typical correction runs in a gray box in the section in which the error was published, and while they thankfully are rare, they are certain to happen at any newspaper. But there was an error in Friday’s editorial that we believe could only be truly corrected by writing the correction in the same format in which the error was made.In the editorial, titled “MSU’s submission to RIAA damages vital relationship,” we stated that MSU officials gave the Recording Industry Association of America the names and information about the 14 students who were issued pre-settlement letters. This is false. According to University Relations, and the news article that was published in The Reflector on Jan. 15, MSU was asked by the RIAA to pass the pre-settlement letters on to the students, not directly give the information about the students to the group. We also falsely stated that MSU was subpoenaed by the RIAA.
In our attempts to make deadline Thursday, we failed to properly corroborate this information. As such, we wish to apologize to our readers for this mistake, and apologize to the MSU administrators who have been inadvertently cast in an inaccurate light. While the RIAA issue is one that has divided the administration and students of MSU, the last thing we want to do is widen that division.
However, we still stand by the overall message of the editorial: that MSU could have done more to protect the students whose names were attached to the IP addresses from the RIAA. For example, MSU officials could have waited for subpoenas, even as a simple gesture to show that they can be relied upon for protection of students’ privacy. In fact, several universities across the country are doing this. We believe that the majority of the problem rests with the RIAA, but compliance with them still plays a major role.
We are student journalists, but despite our student status, we nonetheless strive to reach the highest standard of professionalism in the realm of journalism. We do this through accurate reporting and commentary, and through showing accountability when we do make mistakes. As such, we make no excuse for our error, and hope that this editorial will resonate as a testament to our continued mission to be a professional newspaper, and to give all parties involved in issues we cover a fair voice.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Matt Watson, news editor Erin Kourkounis, sports editor Melissa Meador, entertainment editor David Breland, photo editor Bud Sorey, online editor C.J. LeMaster, managing editor Nathan Gregory and editor in chief Tyler Stewart.