Letter from the Managing Editor

Andy Boden/ Managing Editor

Hello everyone, and welcome to the 2009-2010 school year. As tradition here at The Flip Side, the managing editor will have the opening word. The Flip Side is an alternative publication of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and serves as a public forum for free expression. We welcome various forms of free expression including, but not limited to, articles (subjective and objective), poems, short stories, columns, and illustrations. Serving as an alternative publication is what makes The Flip Side unique, and since the alternative press is something that not many universities across the country have, serving as an alternative publication also makes The Flip Side special.

Since we are an alternative publication, people will have misconceptions about us. Therefore, I will start off this semester by addressing some past misconceptions we have faced to serve as a future reference for you all.

First of all, we are NOT a newspaper. In fact, it offends us when people refer to us as a newspaper. Although we may be a form of media, we are a form of alternative media, not traditional media. Since we are a form of alternative media, we follow alternative standards and guidelines, not traditional standards and guidelines, and our main guideline is the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Second, we as a staff are viewpoint neutral. As our disclaimer on the inside coverpage states, all views expressed in The Flip Side are the views of the individuals who submit them and not of The Flip Side staff. We welcome all ideas and viewpoints to be published in The Flip Side. However, the only thing that we as a staff endorse is free speech.

Third, although this may seem unsettling to some, we will allow hate speech to be published. Since what is considered to be “hate speech” is subjective in nature, and since hate speech can account for a form of free speech, we will not censor it unless the author wishes for us to do so. After all, the First Amendment was written to protect unpopular speech since popular speech does not need protection. Even though we will allow hate speech in our publication, we are not the only organized activity who allows hate speech on this campus, and we certainly are not the first to do so either.

Fourth, we will not publish everything, per se, but everything that is protected by the First Amendment. This is a common misconception. We do not advocate for absolute free speech; instead, we advocate for the freest of speech allowable under the First Amendment.

Fifth, do not automatically assume that we are a “progressive” publication. Even though The Flip Side was founded by the Progressive Student Association (PSA) in 2003, The Flip Side severed ties with PSA in May of 2005 and has been an independent publication ever since. Also, the term “progressive” is an arbitrary term that has been thrown around so many times in so many different directions that it is hard to tell what the true definition of the word is. For instance, one can make the argument that it is not progressive to allow what most people consider to be hate speech. At the same time, however, one can counter that argument by saying that it is not progressive to censor.

Lastly, even though we have printed many pieces that many would consider to be “bad” or poorly written, we have also printed many great pieces. So don’t let all those “bad” pieces get in the way of your decision to not pick up a copy for you can truly miss out on some great pieces.

In saying all that, one of our goals other than to provide people with an outlet for free expression is to create dialogue. Things such as public debate, academic scrutiny, and logical argument are what help us grow as intellectuals as well as individuals. Therefore, we invite people to respond to pieces if they have something to say about them.

Like I have said before, we welcome you all to pick up and read a copy as well as submit any articles, poems, columns, stories, or illustrations you would like to have published. If you would like to know more about The Flip Side, feel free to look on the inside coverpage, visit our website at www.flipsidepress.org, or ask any staff member in person or by e-mail. Thank you, and have a marvelous school year.