In my time here at Carolina, I have learned to live with The Daily Tar Heel's notoriously biased approach to the news and stories that it reports. Like most students here, I have always accepted it as a facet of the University. However, I was especially disappointed by the DTH's gross misrepresentation of the campaign for student body president and Jen Daum's subsequent victory.
In my tendency to excuse the DTH's slanted reporting of the facts, I can almost excuse the blatantly wrong and gendered reporting found in its opinion articles, which declare on numerous occasions that Jen Daum, regardless of having the support of Fred Hashagen, Brad Overcash, Bennett Mason, and the majority of those students who voted, was only elected because "freshman guys ... think she's hot." However, not only have the opinions of the DTH been one-sided, but so have its alleged news stories which are also continuously peppered with gendered language at the detriment to other candidates. For example, when Jen and Will won the initial election, Will was portrayed as composed and gracious, whereas Jen was said to be emotional and crying. I think it is sad that the DTH chooses to condemn a "real" person with feelings and emotions. I am not sure who should be more offended by your incompetence, Jen herself, or the student body; who, according to the DTH are unable to recognize and elect the most qualified candidate, regardless of gender and personal appearance.
The DTH is given the privilege and responsibility to report the news and other stories to the students of this University. Instead of reporting the success of the democratic process and the election of only the third woman student body president in the history of our University, the DTH attempts to substitute their preference for the will of the student body and exasperate this by lampooning the duly elected student body president and chastising the electorate.
Lauren Cook
Sophomore
Journalism
