Where did the summer go? It seems like last semester’s exams just ended, but here we are, starting another school year. Whether you’re new to the University or have been here for decades, I want to use these column inches to introduce you to The Michigan Daily.
As media evolves, news organizations are often criticized for being out of touch. At the Daily, we believe in transparency. This is your newspaper — the Daily is produced by students with the University community in mind. Hopefully, I’ll answer any questions you have about the Daily here, but please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions. If you send me an e-mail at Lichterman@michigandaily.com or Tweet me at @ylichterman , I’ll be happy to help you out.
Who we are
The Michigan Daily is the largest student-run newspaper at the University. We’ve been publishing since 1890, and for all 122 years of production, the Daily has been completely student run. There are some professionals who help our business staff (the group of students who are responsible for generating revenue and managing finances) but we are completely editorially independent. A group of hardworking editors and I are ultimately the ones responsible for what we publish every day, and that freedom is a responsibility we take very seriously. Our mission is to be as fair and accurate as possible and to only publish stories that are pertinent to the University community.
When we stray from that mission
The design of our production process aims to get every story right, but that doesn’t always happen. When we mess up, we want to know about it. Please let us know if you notice an error in the Daily. If there’s a mistake, we’ll correct it online immediately and run a correction on page 2 of the next day’s print edition. I can’t reiterate it enough: We want to know when we make mistakes — please e-mail corrections@michigandaily.com or me directly to let us know about any mistake.
Connect with the Daily
We love the Internet. It’s changing and challenging traditional journalism and the way we do our jobs. Disseminating news is faster and easier than ever, and there’s a more robust dialogue between sources, readers and us. Follow us on Twitter (@michigandaily) or like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/MichiganDaily). Both are great ways to connect to the Daily or as a way to start a conversation about anything you see on our website or in the paper.
There are also more traditional ways to let us know what you’re thinking. Letters to the editor can be sent to tothedaily@michigandaily.com, and news tips — which are always appreciated — can be sent to news@michigandaily.com.
Several weeks ago, we launched TheBlockM.com, the Daily’s new sports-only website. TheBlockM.com is meant to fuel your interest in Michigan sports with up-to-the-minute coverage of every varsity sport — from baseball to water polo. Follow TheBlockM on Twitter at @TheBlockM and like it on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheBlockM.com. The site is still a work in progress, and we look forward to your input as it evolves.
Join the Daily
Interested in joining the staff of the Daily? Excellent. We’d love to have you. There are several ways you can go about becoming a staff member. Check out www.michigandaily.com/join-us to contact any of our editors. We also encourage you to attend one of our mass meetings this month. They’ll start at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Daily newsroom in the Student Publications Building at 420 Maynard St. — near the corner of Williams and Maynard. Here are the meeting dates:
- Sunday, Sept. 9
- Wednesday, Sept. 12
- Thursday, Sept. 13
- Wednesday Sept. 19
- Sunday, Sept. 23
I’m serious: We want to hear from the community we serve. Whether you have questions, news tips or feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We can’t do our jobs of keeping you informed without some help.
Thanks, and have a fantastic semester.