As editor-in-chief of “The Reflector” for two years this May, I am responsible for teaching staff members how to approach and communicate with sources. Little did I know how challenging it would be to get a sit-down interview with a “Greyhound;” I have had more face time with Grady. At times, it’s like pulling teeth.
Our university is rich with experts, but this common thread of unresponsiveness from potential sources, or, in some cases, refusal to be interviewed, has led to missed deadlines and empty space. It also causes a trickle effect from source to writer, writer to editor and editor to adviser, meaning if even one story is in crisis, it affects us all. So, when all is said and done, a source falling through means a valuable story goes untold.
Now, in the world of journalism, one would be naïve to expect every source will respond in a manner that best suits their timeline; however, it colors me confused that those who most benefit from our coverage, UIndy students and faculty, seemingly ignore our requests for comment. At “The Reflector,” the majority of what we cover is campus-related, and all of what we cover is campus-connected. During my summer internship at the Daily Journal in Franklin, most sources replied quickly and eagerly or, at the very least, kept me updated if there was a delay. I can get in touch with an Indiana state representative quicker than a professor who shares a building with our newsroom; this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Even I had an interaction in early August where multiple staff members in the university’s admissions office denied my request for comment and told me to contact the university’s official communications team — which is usually not the case unless we are contacting someone in upper administration like the president or provost about a story that needs their expertise for a story about enrollment, for example. Although it is customary in this industry to go through media relations, we are an in-house, independent media organization. I walk by the admissions office everyday on my way to the newsroom or to class. Staffers come to me, frustrated, telling me that a professor whose expertise is listed on the directory as the most relevant for the story replied back and said they did not think they could answer their questions. It is even more common to not receive a reply.
The campus community must understand that sources are essential to what we do and what a lot of us seek to do in our careers. One cannot write a story without sources even if it is an opinion piece or review. Journalism itself crumbles and frays at the seams without them. Allow us to tell others’ stories, whether it be a professor publishing a debut novel, highlighting a student business or a plane crashing near campus and make facts or anecdotes accessible and accurate for our readers. To those who are willing and eager to help us grow as reporters and as individuals through our work here on “The Reflector,” we thank you. We know every member of the campus community is busy with, but it is this cooperation between “The Reflector” and the broader campus community that our journalism demands.
If anyone is curious about how to reach us, we are available at reflector@uindy.edu, our Instagram or X (@reflectoruidy) or our various emails in the directory on Page 3.
