The Metropolitan revises its focus

-- Leah Otto Johnson

To build credibility and develop The Metropolitan student newspaper to a university-level publication, the nearly all-new editorial team decided at their Sept. 14 staff meeting to publish primarily university-related news articles and event announcements.

All other articles, including commentary, will be published on a space-available basis.

According to The Metropolitan’s new editor, Carin Mangimeli, a public relations and professional writing double-major, this move is intended to better represent the Metropolitan State University community.

A student newspaper should offer "a chance to be heard, a chance to participate [and] local coverage," said Mangimeli.

And though The Metropolitan will continue to offer a platform for the Metropolitan State University community to be heard, Mangimeli hopes this move will help to develop the student newspaper to eventually publish almost exclusively university-related content.

The Metropolitan offers a variety of pertinent topics for university community to read about, said Tara Mikenas, a public relations major at Metropolitan State University. "I like the fact that it makes me feel connected and aware of what is going on at the school."

The editorial team hopes this move will build readership trust after the university raised concern about The Metropolitan last spring.

In April 2006, The Metropolitan published a commentary article containing several occurrences of the “n-word.” In addition to letters from President Wilson Bradshaw, the Student Senate, AASA and Anti-Racism Task Force, the student newspaper published nine letters-to-the-editor in the follow-up issue published May/June 2006, which was entirely committed to university community response.

Metropolitan State University support and feedback has improved since the incident, said Mangimeli, who appreciates the checks and balances of the editorial board reinstated by the university last May.

According to The Metropolitan bylaws, the editorial board consists of the student newspaper’s editorial staff and advisor, as well as volunteers from the Metropolitan State University community. The editorial board provides feedback on controversial issues when they arise.

"Our staff is working together...and we have better communication," said Mangimeli. "We’re all learning together [and] we all have really good ideas."

Though The Metropolitan has received more university support and feedback since last spring, one of their greatest challenges is student organization and community involvement, said Mangimeli.

While student organization representatives have displayed interest in utilizing The Metropolitan to reach university community, The Metropolitan editorial staff needs organization representatives to submit information and ideas to the student newspaper to be fair and pay attention to what student organizations are doing at Metropolitan State University, said Mangimeli.

As the school year continues, Mangimeli hopes student organization representatives will work with The Metropolitan to offer a monthly calendar of student organization and university-related events.

Additionally, The Metropolitan’s editorial staff plans to work with student organizations to host a writer’s workshop to give the Metropolitan State University community an opportunity to work with professionals in the writing world, said Mangimeli.

To further pursue students’ active involvement, The Metropolitan will continue to post announcements about monthly writer’s meetings on and around campus. Writer’s meetings offer university community and student organizations the platform to propose story ideas to the editorial staff, as well as the opportunity for registered students to commit to writing articles for The Metropolitan.

The Metropolitan will continue to offer monthly student writing contests. The first contest was offered last September and awarded book vouchers.

Mangimeli also plans to enter The Metropolitan into college newspaper contests.

To get involved, visit The Metropolitan online at http://themetropolitan.metrostate.edu.