Column by Wesley Robinson

Over the course of the year, we’re going to see a fair amount of blunders, missteps and failures around campus. Through it all, there’s one thing we need to remember: nobody sits down and plans problems, things just inevitably go wrong.

If you think back to the past couple of years, the biggest campus news stories that turned out to be controversial were all intended to have a different purpose. From the now infamous cartoon to the senseless Barack Obama effigy, if you ask the individuals responsible for each, they would tell you their actions are misunderstood. That’s not to say you have to agree with everything everyone does, but try to remember people think differently and there are different reasons for different actions.

The Kernel is no exception to this rule, as we will also fall victim to mistakes. We try to catch as many before the paper reaches you the reader, but there are some things that slip past many levels of editing from the keenest eye. Still, we try our best knowing there is a responsibility to get the news out as accurately as possible with as little error in copy.

News is here to inform, not to belittle or detract. We at the Kernel will make our own mistakes, and when we point out something, it isn’t to pull down anyone in particular because it is news. We don’t wake up in the morning plotting against administration, student government, or anyone else — we simply attempt to cover the news the best we can. Our mission isn’t to seek and destroy, it is to examine, probe and in the case of opinions, analyze what we are being told, what perception is and what is happening.

There are a lot of sources attempting to disseminate information to students, all of which have their own purpose. I’m not saying the Kernel is the preeminent source for campus news or that there is no value in other publications, but realize that certain news sources are put in place for specific reasons. While people may disagree with our reports and editorials, it must be noted that we simply cannot publish rumor, conjecture and hearsay. We try to be independent and measure issues from the student perspective; after all, we are students, too.

In all honesty, from a student’s perspective, UK is a fortunate campus. Not only is it fairly safe, it does not have an extreme amount of corruption, and its students are generally successful. However, that doesn’t mean we do not need to improve. A news report and editorial on safety isn’t intended to vilify officials responsible for safety and tell them they aren’t doing their jobs, it is rather a strong suggestion from the outside, chronicled by the Kernel. The same goes for when we point out an issue within the higher workings of the university or in relation to student life.

In order for things to function correctly we need to investigate the rumblings of the university and city; not only to try to provide an account of what is going on, but to hold responsible individuals accountable. Sometimes that may turn up a story, other times it may lead to more investigation, and still other times we may be led to a dead end. Whatever the end result, it is our duty to look.

For the reader, not only is it important to understand these things, but also to use the news to become active citizens. We are here to inform so when an issue is relevant to a specific reader, they can become more familiar with the issue and know where to go with concerns. As much as I enjoy the blogosphere or use UKnow to get information about what is going on around campus, I know that the news entities are going to be the only places I can start to look for the truth. I just hope other readers take the same philosophy and continue to turn to true news sources.