The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-14
FAKE NEWS FROM UNIVERSITY
State Board Of Education Protests
Against False Reports Sent Out
From state institutions.

Tue Euitor OF The Gate City:
So many false and exaggerated re-
ports have gone out from the educa-
tional institutions under charge of the
state Board of Education, and espe-
cially from lows City, that we feel
constrained to address this commune
cation to you.
we understand, of course, that edi-
tors are more or less helpless in such
matters The general presumption is,
nrst. that you desire to publish any
thing that may transpire at these edu-
cational institutions that may be of
general interest; second, that you do
not knowingly print that which is not
true; third, that you are interested in
the welfare of these institutions as
all good citizens are interested in
them; nevertheless, you have to rely
upon your correspondents. You nat
uraliy publish what they send you.
100 often, as you no doubt know,
these correspondents as we'll as others
are over-anxious to earn money. They
know that the public likes the sensa-
fional and their motto is to give what
the public wants.
Not to burden you with any long
dissertation, permit us to cite two
Illustrations. The head of one of the
departments here recently discovered
that seven students out of 260 we're
guilty of "cribbing" at an examination
Some of the reports sent out from the
University stated that there were
slxty-six students who had been gull
ty of this indefensible practice and
that the whole sixty-six would be ex-
PEELED. little later a few young
men at the University, prominent in
athletics. failed to pass their semester
examinations and We're conditioned. 1t
was sent out by various correspond
ents at Iowa City that a large mum.
Der mad been conditioned, and that
the reason for such action on the part
OF the faculty was not that they de-
served to be conditioned but that the
faculty were opposed to athletics in
general and had taken this method
OF venting their spleen upon men
prominent in athletics. This is at once
unjust and absurd There is not
word of truth in it. In many cases
the men thus conditioned were named |
some we're named who were not con.
dlfioned, thus placing a stigma upon |
these young men which they did not I
deserve and which will follow them |
Tor a long time. As newspaper man |
you know how vain and fruitless zx-
plantations and denials are.
The request that we have to make
OF you Is simply this. We ask your
cooperation to the end that the send I
ing out of such false reports NAV be
upon In the place where it
VIII do the most good, namely, in your
ONCE. Ii correspondents were given
TO understand that work of this kind I
VIII not be tolerated it would soon
cease, at least that is our opinion
about it. 1t might he stated that the
college authorities ought to deal with
ms and discipline the student cores
pondents who send out these reports. /
out II is very easy to avoid responsi.
1liity for such actions Editors natur
ally protect their correspondents. tele. /
srapn companies protect their patrons.
and 1t is difficult to prove up a case
'f this kind. The after-effects of these
,ractces that the correspondents in
iulge In are widespread. We respect. /,
MY ask your aid in putting an end
o this kind of journalism.
W. r. BOYD.
THOS. LAMBERT
Members finance committee.