Brett Kavanaugh is a misogynistic rapist who belongs in prison. Maybe. Brett Kavanaugh is a hero who was falsely accused and was rightfully selected as a Supreme Court Justice. Again, maybe. These statements are opinions.
In this new political climate, it seems as if we no longer want to engage in civic discourse. For example, when a controversial commentary is published by The Paisano, many students begin to label The Paisano as being “too liberal” or “too conservative.” Is there no room for debate?
As The Paisano’s Managing Editor, I determine which commentaries are published. As a liberal and as an African American man, I struggle to publish articles that are contrary to my beliefs. It is even more difficult to publish articles that express views such as how hard it is to be conservative or how conservatives are having their voices silenced.
When reading opinions like those, I always ask myself, “Did they forget about all of the minorities whose rights were infringed on?” Or, “Did they forget about the LGBTQ communties who fought for the right to be married?” I cannot refuse to run articles because they may be contrary to my political views. I have to remain objective and maintain my journalistic integrity.
If I refused to publish a controversial article because I disagreed with it, then I should refrain from being a journalist. The opinions published in The Paisano should not be limited to my personal views (or anyone else’s for that matter). That is not the function of an opinion section.
An opinion article, either Commentary or Op-ed, is not a blog or social media post. It is a view that discusses topics based on that individual writer’s views. The opinion of the newspaper is expressed in the Editorial. The topics discussed in the opinion section can be political, social, entertaining, satirical, etc. and should be credible. They are the opinions of the individual writers.
When published commentaries are controversial at The Paisano, we do our best to make sure those articles are not derogatory, harmful or an attack on any group; however, The Paisano does publish articles that some readers may find offensive. As a media outlet we will not refuse to run articles that do not cater to popular opinion.
At The Paisano, we aim to spark conversation. If students read a commentary published in our newspaper, they should not expect to have their views reaffirmed. We are not Fox News or CNN. The Paisano does not think publishing articles that reflect only the views liberals or conservatives would invoke change in the UTSA community.
Publishing commentaries that express different views, that challenge our readers’ beliefs and give them the opportunity to hear other voices. We aim to engage our community in civil discourse.
We publish articles that we hope start conversation and are thought-provoking. By publishing conservative and liberal articles, we hope to encourage readers to engage in more civic discourse. That’s the goal of a newspaper. That’s the goal of a university.
If you have any questions or comments about the publication, please write a letter to the editor at [email protected]. We look forward to your feedback.
