Dear The Peak,
[Your article endorsing SFSS candidates] was published under Opinions and I would never argue that anyone should not have the right to voice their opinion or have it published. That said, The Peak is the only student newspaper and the sad truth is that there are likely more students who read the opinion section of The Peak than who read candidate platforms or watch the election debates. The opinions of Peak writers and editors have the power to sway the vote, and this is a power that should be taken more seriously.
I implore The Peak to remove this article from their website immediately. In its place I would like to see an article outlining why it was wrong for The Peak to endorse certain candidates and not others, and how it intends to ensure its articles (even opinions) are neutral and unbiased for the remainder of the election period.
In addition, I would like The Peak to release an apology to all the candidates for their behavior. If The Peak would like to run an article regarding endorsements, I would like to see them find someone to endorse each of the candidates and make sure they are all fairly represented. Alternatively, I would recommend polling the student body and making election predictions based on this poll. Again, opinion or not, The Peak has a responsibility to emphasize fair exposure to all candidates.
Thank you for your time,
Tennille Lewis
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To The Peak,
I am writing to express my support for and approval of the opinions piece published in last week’s issue endorsing candidates in the SFSS elections. I write this as an individual SFU student, not as a representative of any organization, nor on behalf of anyone else. The opinion expressed here is my own and mine only.
I believe the media, especially student media outlets, have an important role to play in student union elections. With low levels of student participation in SFSS elections, much of which is attributable to a lack of awareness, any attention to candidates and issues is positive.
Endorsements play a particularly important role, in my opinion. Firstly, they distill the large amounts of information available into an easily digestible format for students who are not highly involved in student politics.
Second, by paying attention to all the various election materials and events, they provide an incentive for candidates to attend debates and produce better researched platforms in the hopes of getting an endorsement. Endorsements elevate elections from a popularity contest to a more experience-based competition.
Thirdly and most importantly, it allows student journalists to act as opinion leaders. Having people who are informed about issues speaking publicly about their views is an integral component of democracy. This is especially true during election times.
I should note that I do not necessarily agree with all the endorsements you made, but I am very supportive of your decision to make them. I hope you will continue this practice moving forward.
