By Brian Villalba
People get angry at the news sometimes. Some choose to curse, scream and embarrass themselves in all kinds of ways.
The real issue is, if they ought to be bitter or better? At East Los Angeles College’s Campus News it is our policy for any distress to be handled.
If you have an issue with something Campus News has printed, go through the appropriate channels and conduct yourself like a dignified individual to seek justice. If the grievance is handled in a civil manner, there is the likelihood that public support for an open investigation will be there. If the grievance is expressed through vulgar tirades, then the public sees bullying and a cover-up.
There will also be concern over anger management issues. Most importantly the individual ought to ask if he/she is bitter or better.
A bitter person will never taste the sweet fruits of life. The better person will.
If there is a narrative where a poor college newspaper with a pillaged budget is the bully, it wouldn’t be very compelling and nobody would be interested in it because it isn’t believable. The individual who feels they are the victim of injustice cannot change what has happened in the past, whether it is at Campus News or anywhere else.
The choice the individual has is to be bitter or better or whether to seek justice or revenge. Justice is a noble idea that is in the spirit of all news media. Through the open distribution of news, the public can have the information while staying informed.
Revenge is a destructive act that provides no positive gain in the end for anyone involved. Revenge is a vice to the virtue of justice.
The individual can seek to have their name cleared or be accountable for what they did. It probably isn’t a good idea to hold your breath until people start being accountable.
However, it would be advisable to have that as a minimum standard of being in position of authority. If the individual decides to be better and has the truth on his/her side, Campus News will see to it that the truth is expressed. If the individual is bitter and decides to sue Campus News, there is a possibility that Campus News may be silent for a short time, but you cannot run from the truth.
The news media cannot be suppressed indefinitely. Campus News is far from perfect but it will always be better than silence. In silence and absence of media all sorts of vile, corrupt and villainous behavior is certain.
To know thyself is as wise a thing a person can do and in the instance of dealing with your name in the paper, you ought to know your place. News media has a job to do. See to it you are doing yours.