It is a newspaper’s responsibility, first and foremost, to be objective. We at The Baro take our responsibilities very seriously, and therefore understand the power and impact an editorial can have. With that in mind, when remaining silent is itself a stance, we are obligated to vocalize ours.

A couple of weeks ago, several copies of our Feb. 13 issue, which featured the cover story “Seeing past stereotypes,” were defaced. Several bars had been deliberately drawn over our cover model’s face, and the issues were subsequently returned to the stands. The model in question happened to be Muslim, and wearing a hijab.

It should go without saying, but we as an editorial staff do not agree with this characterization of a person as a criminal based on their religious beliefs. The freedom to express one’s faith openly is guaranteed not only by Oregon State University, but also by the U.S. Constitution.

As we stand against generalizations of people, we also stand for accurately representing individuals. We hold firm in our values, and we strive to apply them across the board. Without universal application, principles

have no meaning.

For this reason, we have also chosen to identify the participants in the protest we covered this week in the photos that we took through our coverage.

True journalism and objectivity does not know bias, and the standards that we are held to as the media remain true for all that we do.

By now, you may have seen our online coverage of the Solidarity March that took place on the Oregon State University campus this past week. 

As we do with all stories we cover, we identified and published the names of individuals that were included in the photos our photographers took over the course of four days. 

Our goal this year as a publication is to amplify the wide variety of voices that exist in the larger OSU and Corvallis communities, and one way in which we aim to achieve this goal is through our complete and accurate coverage of the various events and happenings on campus. The protest is included in this list.  

As journalists, we strive to provide a platform for all voices to be heard. This past week, several voices of students were heard throughout campus, and it is our duty as a publication to provide accurate coverage of campus events. Therefore, we made the decision to publish the names of those participating in the Solidarity March. 

If the subject of a news story is allowed to determine how they are covered, the media ceases to be an independent, unbiased and objective guardian of the public.

We as individuals have our own opinions and beliefs, but on this point we stand together and declare in one voice: The Baro will remain steadfast in our accurate and objective coverage of campus and community events.