Art by Samantha Miller
Welcome to Perspectives!
It’s a tricky section to read, especially when today’s media is shaped as a political battlefield. However, that’s not this section — Perspectives showcases the diaspora of opinions in the world.
For some, an opinion section allows people to subject the populous to their overzealous political or social opinions. However, that isn’t the case with the Perspectives section.
Here, we offer varying viewpoints or perspectives, and it’s a multi-step process from writers to even myself as an editor.
How We Cultivate Perspectives
Perspectives empowers writers to write what they want. This is to protect what it means to be an unbiased section.
Perspectives doesn’t serve to sway, control or brainwash people. We serve to honestly give people agency over their opinions. However, Perspectives still has a large weakness: Without voices willing to speak, we can become an echo chamber.
An echo chamber is when a person or group of people are surrounded by similar opinions they already hold. This can be seen largely in social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where algorithms learn a user’s habits and preferences and then only cultivate personal media for them to consume.
We need people who hold varying opinions or opposing positions to participate to help Perspectives achieve its mission of showing a variety of different opinions.
Doing this can be as simple as becoming a writer and cultivating different opinions. For others, it can be sending a Letter to the Editor to be posted on the website and in our print edition.
I, as the editor, and Perspectives as a whole must take responsibility as well. Perspectives searches for and invites more writers who diverge from our current trends, such as those representing politically conservative values, and those in the Indigenous community.
Perspectives continues to aim to ensure these voices are heard. We will always grow and show as many views as possible.
How Editing Works
Many people get nervous at the thought of being edited. Here at Perspectives, it’s actually a pretty simple process. Editors look at a piece similarly to how Grammarly and spellcheck scan a piece’s content.
Editors check for inconsistencies, misinformation and stylistic errors while also editing for concision, readability and flow when following AP guidelines, which many news organizations use as their style of writing.
In some cases, editors come in with biases that may affect a writer’s true intentions. It happens — people are human. This is where the Perspectives Editor comes in. It’s my job to protect a writer’s integrity. I believe editors and writers need to have close relationships and understand boundaries.
A writer’s story is not just something assigned, but an integral part of how they see the world — and that’s what the world needs to see.
For those who are concerned with not having a voice, there is no reason to fear. Here at the Graphic, we have a Perspectives Editor who is willing to fight tooth and nail for the best depiction of your opinion.
Still, Perspectives isn’t a place to spread hate or false information. A necessary part of editing is to minimize or eradicate false information and/or legal and community harm.
Moving Forward
The community must hold Perspectives accountable. Keep sending honest and respectful criticism, reach out to the Graphic and other newspapers — or even editors — and continue to advocate for more diverse viewpoints.
Don’t forget to be a part of this growth. Send a Letter to the Editor or email the actual editor and demand a chance to write an editorial. Your opinion is valuable. With the community’s combined research, knowledge and resources, everyone can make better-informed decisions while enhancing their own individual critical thinking about the world around us.
In short, we must all do our part. So, welcome everyone! Welcome to Perspectives!
____________________
Follow the Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
Email Perspetives Editor Anitiz Muonagolu: aj.muonagolu@pepperdine.edu
Email the Graphic: PeppGraphicMedia@gmail.com
