H -°, L 25° | Tomorrow: 
H 29°, L 17°I recently read an ‘open letter’ response (“An Open Letter to David Archuleta fans,” Oct, 15) to negative feedback involving an album review written by one of your staff members — the infamous “David Archuleta incident.” As a professor of media studies and journalist myself, I am always intrigued by student journalism. I read many student newspapers from around the country looking for good and bad examples to use in my own undergraduate courses; unfortunately, this falls into the latter.
First, let me comment by saying that I agree with most of the points raised in the column. It is true that the majority of the public is uninformed about the operations of a newspaper and the distinction between a news article and an editorial or review piece. Incidentally, I wondered why the author chose to review a David Archuleta album in the first place — is this the music most salient to Wisconsin students? — but nonetheless it was a fairly well-written review not deserving of the comments made. Moreover, the personal attacks on the staff member by readers were outright childish.
However, I wonder why Cailley Hammel chose to respond at all to the baseless and ignorant comments made by anonymous readers of your newspaper. In your newspaper’s policy, it is noted that “unsigned letters (to the editor) will not be published.” I assume this policy is in place to filter out many of the more inflammatory comments people are wont to make under the guise of anonymity. So I wonder, why legitimize these comments by running them in your column? I believe the point of the column was to highlight the outright lunacy of some of the comments made about the staff member; a virtuous and righteous point that should be made but ultimately is lost by an ill-informed closing salvo.
I understand the anger and frustration with many of these comments. I read them myself and was disgusted. But journalists have chosen a profession (at least for now) that places them constantly in the public eye, and will have to learn how to disregard such tomfoolery. Unless there was some sort of actual or implied threat made against the staff or newspaper, there is no reason to escalate the situation. In fact, when Hammel challenges those “fuckers” to bring it on, is she not simply asking them to, at the very least, write more inflammatory responses? As of the writing of this letter, I see 220 responses to the challenge. What has been accomplished here?
For my students, I plan on using this example as a teachable moment of what not to do in response to harsh public criticism. I am not sure what ethical principles were invoked when writing this column, but Hammel should realize that every section of the newspaper is bound by the same code of ethics and professional standards. When one of us violates these standards, it speaks poorly on all of us. I appreciate the passion and vigor to defend staff, but passion can never trump sound judgment and reason.
Nicholas David Bowman
Assistant professor, media studies
Young Harris College
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Wow. You’re such a fucking expert.
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south harmon institute of technology > young harris college
…did you make that school up?
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Well, at least this post is more respectful than the other ones. No, I said it wrongly, it IS respectful. We fans of David certainly do not like attacking anybody but with that last words in that post ” you know what I’m writing about” we did get offended. We love David Archuleta’ music and his persona, so when somebody attacks somebody you love, you react. I guess that saying that Fans of David are old people of 40 or more and that they are creapy is not a good thing. It is like I would say that these two “writers” are stupid and cinical because they are young. Age does not have anything to do with this. It’s the way some people relates so the rest. That was a lesson from life. You get what you give…. that is all.
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For your point of view, it was a fairly well-written review. But for David’s fan, the reviewer did not do some research before writing the reveiew. And the personal attacks on the staff member by readers were just a response to the same thing they did to David and his fans.
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The “review” was a personal attack on David Archuleta, a poorly researched one. If the writer and the editor were surprised by the response, they live a fairy-tale world.
The response had nothing to do with the public being “uninformed about the operations of a newspaper and the distinction between a news article and an editorial or review piece.”
Readers recognize personal attacks and unfair, uneducated reviews, and they react accordingly.
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David archuleta’s album Christmas From the Heart is just amazing! David is feeling every single song and his voice is amazing!
Love it!!
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Thats what happens when you make numerous mistakes and make people angry- the credibility of this paper is being questioned now. I have never heard of Young Harris College and when I looked it up it appeared to be in Georgia! Now it makes me wonder why the assistant professor from the college in Georgia got involved in the business of the University of Wisconsin? It make you doubt the personality of people writing for that paper.
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Bowman makes a good point. For how pathetically relentless these tone-deaf David Archuleta fans are, it becomes equally pathetic to in any way legitimize them with a response. Especially with a response that in some parts sinks to the same juvenile level as their own.
Whatever. At least the original review asserted the standards we must hold Music to.
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If you think the City of Prague Orchestra and award winning writers and producers not worth your music standards I rest my case.
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Anonymous 4:54 PM, please say hello to your friends on Vote for the Worst. Your dedication to all things American Idol is delightful. It’s amazing how many comments you have the time to produce, even though you hate American Idol and have a life. “Tone-deaf” is getting really old. Perhaps you could come up with something new?
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Mr. Bowman - Rather than again rehashing that the paper’s review was fine and the comments were not, I would like you to listen to the album. At lastfm you can listen to full individual tracks without an account. Can you tell me why the album title “Christmas from the Heart” could described as “mock-worthy”, why the first paragraph of the review consigns the album to the bargain bin, or where the tracks have no degree of musical originality? Or that the Prague Philharmonic conducted by Kurt Bestor detracts from the album? And do you believe this fine and moral young man’s fans wear slutty schoolgirl Halloween costumes? The review was a collection of untruths used for the purpose of making fun of rather than reviewing. Only in the middle of the article does some actual reviewing occur. The rest was meant to insult and hurt, and that’s what it did. Is it a valid type of journalism? Sure, if you like to read such things. Is it appropriate for a review of this Christmas album that a stellar 18 year old poured his heart into and calls a testament of his faith and a gift to his fans? I don’t think so.
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You’re being really silly, this article wasn’t aimed for the general fans of the album. It is a university newspaper aimed towards college readers. When she states to “destroy your slutty schoolgirl Halloween costume” she is hinting at the customs of the students at the university. It was meant in good fun and to be entertaining to the readers. All this bashing is nuts!
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wow. I honestly had no idea that fans of this Reality show runner up were so passionate. Kudos?
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It is nothing short of pathetic that people in this day and age think any kind of criticism is an “attack”, and it’s even sadder that you idiots are getting upset over somebody who doesn’t even know/care about your existence.
He was the runner up on American Idol. The second coming of Christ wouldn’t deserve the fervor you have for Archuleta.
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To: MostExcellent
With regards to you comment:
It is nothing short of pathetic that people in this day and age think any kind of criticism is an �attack”.
In Response to your comment:
It depend on how you do your review if you are using “PROFANITY” that is not an excuse - STUPIDITY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I would recommend you to read the article again for both: Ann Rivall and Cailley Hammell if you think that is acceptable then you are in the wrong business. I don’t know if you are just using an alias or you are a relative or a friend you cannot condone such a stupidity. I think both of them need to retake JOURNALISM 101 AGAIN.
PLUS THIS IS JUST FOOD FOR A THOUGHT: DON’T USE YOUR EGO OR EMOTION WHEN YOU DO YOUR REVIEW BE CONSTRUCTIVE AND OBJECTIVE TO THE POINT. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN OUTLET TO WRITE AN ARTICLE YOU THINK YOU CAN ABUSE IT. THE UNPROFESSIONALISM IS JUST RUINING THE NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON AND ALSO TRUE MUSIC JOURNALIST.
THERE IS A SAYING: YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.
IF YOU ARE NEGATIVE DEFINITELY YOU WILL RECEIVED A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK - IT’S NOT A ONE WAY STREET.
David Archuleta been reviewed by so many True Music Journo but they are very PROFESSIONAL AND RESPECTFUL that is the bottom line. If you still don’t understand it there is a problem with you then you need to consult your parent and get some wisdom.
Concern Student of UW-MADISON
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The only thing ruining the reputation of the University of Wisconsin is that they are apparently willing to accept somebody like you, when you have proven, time and time again, that you lack basic reading comprehension and you have the writing skills and grammar of a child. Word of advice, writing in all caps doesn’t make people take you more seriously, and it doesn’t make you sound particularly bright either.
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Once again, the more rabid Archuleta fans prove that they cannot address the point of a piece of writing. Nothing in this letter to the editor was about David, it’s about the reactions to the writing.
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If you want relevant discussion, why don’t you go back to Vote for the Worst, where relevance abounds.
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This dude is a first year teacher in Communication Studies. He is working on a degree at Michigan State….and his dissertation concerns…”The effects of user demand in video games on mood repair and selective exposure behaviors.” Does that tell you anything interesting…….hmmmmmmm!
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Bad move to do another article defending the piece of work that Ann created. A simple apology would be good, not something that asks for more comments. If you would like to respond next time when this comment section reach 250 comments again I suggest you write the following: “We are sorry, we have made a mistake. The reviewer were not informed and never even researched the facts on who was involved in the creation of the album. We apologize to the great talents that were involved including the great Prague Orchestra, many acclaimed writers and appreciate the time, effort and heart that David Archuleta put in the album. We understand that the music David created was from the heart and it was a gift to his fans. ” David DOES NOT CARE about this review because he does not care how many records he will sell and what people think. He is always surprised that people love him. He is more most humble person. He said and proved it so many times that he will sing for free just to make people happy. That is why we defend him, that is why we promote him, that is why we care about reviews. We want to make sure our David continue sell records so he can continue make us happy with his voice and his inspiring personality. Yes, we are fanatic in defending him because of people like you who try to brainwash people who read reviews before they buy music. You do your job trashing artists and we will do ours- defend them. Get used to it. That is what fans do. I challenge you trash the next CD that U2 or other the major music giant releases. And you will see the same reaction for their fans.
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Mr. Bowman,your title does not even match the content if your article. You know you expected to get a mass of response and I doubt it if you will read them all. Saying that Ms. Rivall’s review is fairly-well written is actually defending her unprofessional, ill-informed and emotionally poured written material. You for one are in the media and journalism field so I was expecting that you would know that Rivall’s review was very poorly written, regarding all the journalistic ethics you would have known. By simply writing this response, you have NOT left the Archuleta fans alone at all but rather triggered us more in defending him and his well received Christmas album. How do we end all this endless exchange of infuriated opinions? Well, an apology would be widely welcomed and accepted by the fans because they have been negatively affected by the review and the “open letter” that was obviously intented to spark much response. Please just apologize to get this over with. If Hammel and Rivall have a hard time softening their hearts to pull out an apology, I suggest they go out and buy their own copy of Christmas from the Heart and listen to it 5 times straight, alone. After that, they must realize they’re human and have a heart to apologize. If not, well, I guess that’s their own life problem and pschiateric attention must be given.
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listen to it 5 times straight alone? sounds like almost as big a waste of time as you idiots watching Idol 6 God Damn hours a week. This year, you sheep will fall in love with the new Aiken or Archuleta, or whoever, and American consumerism will live on.
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While I love David, too, I’m a bit older and l also respected the original critic’s critique and even didn’t disagree on several points made within.
But when Mr. Bowman asks, in his second paragraph, “I wondered why the author chose to review a David Archuleta album in the first place � is this the music most salient to Wisconsin students?”, Bowman loses all credibility in his subsequemt comments.
It’s classic professorial snottery and causes even the most objective reader to justly shut down.
And I love Young Harris.
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Never again will articles in the Badger Herald attract this many comments. Most articles have zero comments. Enjoy!
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Mr.Bowman still doesn’t get it.. sad sad.. tsk tsk tsk..
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If the original article had actually been well written with well researched information the response would have been different.Criticism, though disappointing to people who are hearing something beautiful when they listen David Archuleta’s Christmas From The Heart, is still tolerable when done with professionalism.The research wasn’t there because the writer apparently had an agenda not based on fact or objectivity. Don’t we have the right to expect more of an aspiring journalist and college newspaper?
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i agree with Cobby!!!! :D