|
The Spectrum is the newspaper by, for, and about the students of Bowie State University. The mission of The Spectrum is to inform Bowie State students, staff, and faculty of matters of importance to students and to offer students the opportunity to master the skills and refine the talents necessary for a career in journalism. The Spectrum online edition is updated every two weeks during the school year. The Spectrum web content is free to all members of the University community. Responsibility for the publication of The Spectrum is delegated by the chair of the Department of Communications to faculty advisor and student editors. The Department of Communications is the publisher of The Spectrum and as such, is accountable for all Spectrum policies and procedures. The department shall prepare specific guidelines identifying all aspects of The Spectrum editorial policy respecting the gathering, writing, illustrating, displaying, and publishing of news and advertising. The preamble to these guidelines shall be the Code of Ethics adopted in 1973 by the Society of Professional Journalists. The code focuses on the following cardinal principles: (1) journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in reporting and interpreting information; (2) that sources and subjects are treated with sensitivity in order to minimize harm; (3) journalists should be obligated primarily to the public's right to know; and (4) journalists shall be accountable to the public. The Spectrum is guaranteed press freedom and prior censorship will not be imposed under any condition. It is our goal that The Spectrum shall remain a forum for the free exchange of ideas among Bowie State University students and shall provide an indispensable training ground for journalism students. It must exist within an assurance against prior censorship. It must continue as a student-managed operation within the purview of the Bowie State University Department of Communications. It must retain its character and function as a free but responsible critic of the University community. It must maintain its value as an instructional resource for students in the standards and precepts of a responsible watchdog over the rights, privileges and needs of students. The editorial offices of The Spectrum are located in Room 272 of Martin Luther King Jr. building, on the campus of Bowie State University. The Spectrum staff shall exercise all of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a free press. At the same time, editorial freedom shall be governed by the Canons of Responsible Journalism, as established by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), such as the avoidance of libel, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo. The editors shall act without "prior restraint" in exercising the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a free press. The advisors are responsible for seeing that an accepted stylebook is followed. Unsolicited submissions from Bowie State University students are welcome. The Spectrum editorial staff reserves the right to edit all student submissions selected for publication for clarity, length, content and grammar. Submissions can be sent to the offices of The Spectrum (address below). To alert us of events of interest or for coverage by a staff writer, please contact Karima A. Haynes (khaynes@bowiestate.edu). For information about advertising, contact the business manager or Karima A. Haynes (khaynes@bowiestate.edu). Letters to the editor are welcome. Letters must include the name of the writer, along with position (for staff/faculty) and/or year (for students/alumni). Letters accepted for print will be for spelling, grammar and length. Letters can be sent to the offices of The Spectrum (address below). Faculty Advisor: Karima A. Haynes Coordinator, Print Journalism Concentration Address all correspondence to:
The Spectrum
c/o Department of Communications
Bowie State University
14000 Jericho Park Road
Bowie, MD 20715
E-mail: khaynes@bowiestate.edu
Phone: 301-860-3698 For the publishing schedule of The Spectrum for the current semester, please contact Karima A. Haynes or student editors.
| 
