To those dissatisfied with the quality and scope of The Daily Northwestern’s content, this is an invitation. The role of a Public Editor is to channel reader comments and criticism into constructive calls for reform. The Public Editor is critic-in-chief – an ombudsman and an inspector general. During the course of the quarter, I will solicit input from readers and non-readers so that The Daily’s leadership can understand what the paper is doing well, where it is failing and what is missing altogether.

The goal is to continuously evaluate whether The Daily is fulfilling its purpose and potential as the campus newspaper of record. Is it interesting and relevant? Does it challenge students to ask new questions and engage in new discussions? Does it initiate new debates as well as react to and comment on existing ones? The Daily is not only a vehicle for student journalists to pile clips. A fellow non-journalist once commented, “Journalists don’t really do anything. They just write about what other people do.” Much of The Daily’s capacity to influence how students understand what happens and what is possible at Northwestern remains untapped; however, the potential is there.

It might seem frivolous for The Daily to hire an outsider to consider these questions. However, with student editors working feverishly each night composing the next morning’s publication, there is little time to consider whether each day’s fleeting content is meeting Northwestern’s broader demands from its news source. It is a testament to The Daily’s commitment to improvement that they have enlisted a critic to highlight their failures and inadequacies. It is possible that they will soon regret the decision.

The purpose of these columns is not only to hold The Daily’s journalists accountable to their readership and the broader community, but also to give students a voice in the paper aside from specific letters. These columns can quote student input anonymously and at length to demonstrate specific areas for improvement. Old and entrenched institutions like The Daily are reluctant to change without a compelling demand from those who keep them in business. It is incumbent upon you to share your ideas, and it is incumbent upon me to fight for their adoption.

Ben Armstrong is a senior studying political science who has never worked for The Daily. Readers can write to him at [email protected].