EDITORIAL: Inspiring hope from dreadful news
As journalists, we sometimes have to make uncomfortable decisions.
It’s our job to tell all sides of a story. It’s our duty as a news source to provide detailed and accurate information to the community in a timely manner – and that means covering the bad news, as well as the good.
Last year, we reported a series of stories on the death of Holland senior Kelly Markatos. We covered the initial report before a name was released, and continued to update the story as more information became available.
When medical examiners provided details regarding the cause of death, however, we had a choice to make.
After toxicology reports revealed Markatos suffered from probable complications from bulimia, we had to decide between telling the complete story or omitting details in the name of privacy.
There is a common misconception among the public that journalists are only writing about issues that sell newspapers.
Our job asks us to leave emotion at the door while trying to report the news as it comes in with an ethical filter.
We made the decision to give our readers as much information as we could. We’re proud of our coverage. However, we're even more proud of the community's reaction, raising awareness in wake of a tragedy near campus.
Since Kelly’s passing, her family, paired with the campus community, has come together to ensure that others won’t lose their loved ones to eating disorders as they have.
On campus, attention has been focused on raising awareness and making a change.
In January, the Central Michigan University chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon organized a week-long series to spread awareness for eating disorders – including a candlelight vigil to remember those who have passed.
To help inspire change, Kelly’s classmate Elizabeth Nicholl has worked diligently to bring National Eating Disorders Awareness Week to CMU. Ending Saturday, the week has been full of events to both raise awareness and eliminate the stigma against those with eating disorders.
At Central Michigan Life, we have a responsibility to report what happens and to foster open communication between students – but when something beautiful can arise from the shadows, we feel accomplished.
By providing the facts and refusing to ignore uncomfortable issues, we hope to leave room for social change. Ethically, we might not be able to advocate an issue – but through our reporting, we hope to open the eyes of our readers.
Solutions cannot emerge through ignorance.
The best stories to tell are the ones that educate our readers and inspire them to make a difference. The more issues we report, the more our readers can acknowledge a problem – and that puts change on the horizon.
