Letter from the Editor | We’re not here to sell shoes

Some of you have noticed that we’re using the “Corrections and Clarifications” section in the print masthead of The Daily Pennsylvanian more frequently. This section has always been a part of the paper, but we haven’t used it much in the past.

At the beginning of this board, we decided to be more transparent when we get something wrong. No matter how small the error, we run a correction.

As a newspaper, we must hold ourself accountable. Errors pose a disservice to our readers and to our organization. The DP strives to be a reliable and fair source of information for the Penn community. If we get your roommate’s name wrong or misquote you in an article, how can you trust us to get the other facts right?

Here at the DP, we’re in the information business — not the shoe business or the restaurant business or the used car business. In this field, we live and die by our credibility. We’re not offering you shoes, or food, or old Fords — we strive to offer credible information. This is an obvious point, but one that we don’t address enough.

We take errors very seriously. At every level of our staff, we stress the importance of getting these things right.

We hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards, but we need you to hold us accountable too. If we fall short of these standards, I want to hear from you. Send me an email at tom@theDP.com.

Dana Tom is the Executive Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Her email address is tom@theDP.com

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.