As Editor-in-Chief of the The Daily Helmsman, let me personally apologize for the lack of professionalism that has recently come from our Twitter account.
Wednesday, the Helmsman ran an article covering an online debate concerning methods of raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital paired with an opinion piece on the subject, which reflected the opinion of one of our editors, not an editorial stand by the newspaper as a whole.
In response to the opinion piece, the Helmsman began to receive reader feedback via Twitter, which we always welcome whether readers agree with our editorial decisions or not. An unpaid, first semester staff member who expressed interest in administrating our social media used the Helmsman's official Twitter account to engage in a personal attack that reflected badly on the paper.
The staff member also blocked Twitter users who expressed opposition to the commentary the newspaper published. That being said, the social media administrator has been relieved of all duties and is no longer associated with the Helmsman.
As editor-in-chief of the Helmsman, I want to make clear that the Helmsman fully supports free speech and would never prevent anyone from stating his or her opinion. The Daily Helmsman's Twitter and Facebook accounts will continue to exist as public forums for readers to voice their opinions regarding the paper's content.
Michelle Corbet,
Editor-in-Chief
