Love-Hate Mail
Standards deviation
I am writing in response to your “Let the Kids Be” blurb in the Nov. 3 Desperately Seeking the News column. While I “get” the gossip nature of the column, I did think consideration of facts was given to those columns, such as the facts I relayed to you during a phone conversation but which seem to have been disregarded for some reason in your interpretive process.
If you read the body of literature related to journalism education, you’ll find that for decades media professionals have harshly criticized undergraduate journalism programs for not holding journalism students to high enough standards and for not exposing them to the impact, real and potential, of their actions. When an educator makes a concerted attempt to hold students to high standards under a new business (profit) student newspaper model and a local journalist suggests I should “let the kids be” to encourage experimentation, and to deceive advertisers and refuse to consider the impact their actions are having on revenue as long as they are not caught, it doesn’t help my efforts.
If you’ll visit MTSU’s School of Journalism, as invited, you’ll find a tremendous number of talented and dedicated students who hold themselves to high standards and want to learn all they can about all aspects of newspaper production, including the business side. The School of Journalism is currently in the process of revising and raising all its standards, from academic requirements to program requirements to engaging in relevant and useful cutting edge research. It would be helpful if local journalists would support local journalism educators in their efforts to exceed industry standards in terms of ethics, the law, reporting and writing technique and yes, even business management.
Fern Greenbank
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MTSU Sidelines Interim Publisher
mgreenba@mtsu.edu (Murfreesboro)
All we know for sure is they won’t bite
Whenever we drive up Hillsboro, my husband and I check on the progress of the Bison Meadow as we go by; it’s wonderful and ever changing (“Ridley’s Believe It or Not,” Nov. 3). I would like to know if it’s possible to stop and walk through it.
Pat Howell
lhowell998@bellsouth.net (Nashville)
Bests
As a native Atlantan who has just moved to Nashville, I thoroughly enjoyed your “Best of” issue (Oct. 27)—from the laugh-out-loud send-up of Atlanta’s new IKEA (which is actually enviable), to Nashville’s new Cheesecake Factory (which is completely overrated). Thanks for helping me get to know my new home. I look forward to many years of “Bests” to come!
Allison Breyer Everett
breyereverett@bellsouth.net (Nashville)
Two words we haven’t heard in a while
I was thrilled to read the Editorial (“It’s Up to You,” Oct. 20). I absolutely agree that people need to stop complaining and get involved. I’ll tell you why most people don’t get involved: because it doesn’t affect them enough. I have heard dozens of people complain about the sales tax in Tennessee. Yet most of the people complaining are still able to get by. Higher income families spend a greater portion of their income on services, savings and investments than on goods that will be taxed. Under Tennessee’s current system, an unnecessarily heavy burden is placed on poor families, not because they are actually paying more money but because they are paying a greater percentage of their income than wealthy families.
At 9.25 percent, Tennessee has the highest sales tax in the country. In addition, Tennessee taxes food. Thirty-three other states either do not have a sales tax on food or they have a decreased tax for food. Tennessee relies on sales tax because we have no income tax. It’s time for our lawmakers to change this. And it’s time for concerned citizens to care enough to make them change.
Mary Jane Peck
615 Wedgewood Ave. (Nashville)
A pile of memories
We are saddened that more wasn’t done to stop the demolition of Evergreen (Editorial, Oct. 13). My great grandmother would certainly have been shocked to see the way it was handled. My sisters and I enjoyed lots of days at Evergreen as we were growing up. As we are full of memories of the place, one of us should write a book on Evergreen. Just wanted to draw attention to other old landmarks and houses in Tennessee. Please protect them!
Narcissa Mahurin
nmahurin2000@yahoo.com (New Carlisle,Ohio)
Unsound decision
Regarding “Won’t Get Fooled Again?” (Nov. 3): I love the Sounds and know a Sounds game is one of the best entertainment destinations in the Nashville area. I, for one, eat during the game, so I have no inclination to go out for food and drink after a ball game. When the ballpark is downtown, some couples and groups might continue their fellowship in the pubs on and off Broadway, but this will bring in little revenue for the downtown businesses. Instead of spending the tax money for the riverfront ballpark, the money would be better spent by giving it directly to the business owners rather than expecting the ballpark to significantly increase revenue in the area.
I hate paying for parking. I don’t pay for parking for TPAC shows nor for daytime main library events. Now, through Randy Horick’s article, I discover there’ll be paid parking for ball games. I am not happy. Parking fees and traffic is why I have always preferred the proposed Sulphur Dell location for the ballpark.
As for Metro selling the riverfront land rather than renting it, I say bad idea. In 25 years or so, when the ballpark is in disrepair and outdated, more than likely, the land will be sold for a huge profit and used for buildings. Gov. Bredesen, formerly Nashville’s mayor, was outmaneuvered by Bud Adams when the Coliseum construction had begun; Adams threatened to back out of the deal unless the city maintained the property and gave away its rights for concessions. Now Mayor Purcell is about to leave the same type of legacy by choosing the wrong location for the ballpark and selling the land.
Elaine Hackerman
ejhackerman@aol.com (Nashville)
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