I'm going to agree with you, then disagree, JoltinJoe. I have to believe my Ram articles and those of my contemporaries in the late 70s were more professionally reported, written and composed than what I've read in that paper over the past 10 years. I don't think it's just vanity or nostalgia; I think our product was a good one back then. However, I think what appears in the Ram now pretty much mirrors other college papers. Over the past 10 years, the entry-level people I've hired show pretty miserable writing skills, even though most were journalism majors and had some experience. My point is that the problem is not specific to the Ram -- not that that makes it OK. -- Fordham Rams Basketball Message Board

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Date Posted: Tue March 15, 2005 10:38:11
Author: 70sRam
Subject: I'm going to agree with you, then disagree, JoltinJoe. I have to believe my Ram articles and those of my contemporaries in the late 70s were more professionally reported, written and composed than what I've read in that paper over the past 10 years. I don't think it's just vanity or nostalgia; I think our product was a good one back then. However, I think what appears in the Ram now pretty much mirrors other college papers. Over the past 10 years, the entry-level people I've hired show pretty miserable writing skills, even though most were journalism majors and had some experience. My point is that the problem is not specific to the Ram -- not that that makes it OK.
In reply to: JoltinJoe 's message, "Fordham newspapers" on Tue March 15, 2005 07:51:48

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I know how good The Ram was in your era. We frequently used The Ram for research when preparing stories and features for the paper, and the 1970s Rams were a pleasure to read. But I also know what enormous time commitments were necessary to put out a first-rate paper at Fordham, given the substandard technology we (and you) faced. We lost time from class and from study. I only brought this up because I suspect that Mr. Cataldo was faced with severe time constraints when he wrote his article. Given time to reflect, he might have written something better. His article was poor, true, but I thought it was important for those of you who are so critical of this young man to understand how the severe time constraints imposed on our student editors can affect their judgment. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Tue March 15, 2005 14:35:04
- Joe, the whole point of learning journalism is learning to think and write coherently under time constraints. That IS the job! Technology doesn't solve those time constraints; in fact, in some ways, it has made them worse. The kid wrote a poorly thought out, un sophisticated, unfair piece. Like others above, I don't want him fired. Indeed, whoever was supposed to edit him is who should be on the hot seat. But please don't make excuses about time or technology. (NT) -- rc74, Tue March 15, 2005 22:51:55
  - I'm not making excuses. I'm just offering an explanation for the benefit of those who never worked on a Fordham publication. Sure, a professional journalist or editor works under time constraints. But the time constraints faced by a student can be worse, resulting from limited technology which forces the students to spend more time on a task than a professional might. I disagree about technology. Used properly, it is always a great asset. In this regard, I'm not just talking about copy features, like spell check. I'm talking about technological featues that assist in layout. I offer no excuse. The article should not have run. On the other hand, the criticism of this student has been way too extreme, so I tendered an explanation based on my experience at Fordham. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Wed March 16, 2005 06:22:16

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