Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers one definition of journalism that is defined simply as “the public press.”
If the press indeed belongs to the public – and this Daily Beacon does because it’s a free publication at a state university – then it’s time for the sports editor to disclose the facts of the situation to the readers, who are the primary stakeholders in the journalism this newspaper does.
So here is the tell-all: There is a pick ’em competition on the left side of the page today because Thursday and Friday are Fall Break, and The Daily Beacon will not publish a newspaper on those days because the campus community that it serves will be taking a break from its normal routine.
That is why the pick ’em appears in today’s paper. Essentially, what is currently regarded as “hump day” in most of the nation is regarded as a Friday by The Daily Beacon.
Let that sink in for a moment while a different segment of the public is addressed.
To the 50-something-year-old UT fan who stumbled on this paper while looking for a bathroom on campus in the hours leading up to Saturday’s Tennessee vs. South Carolina game: welcome to the pages of The Daily Beacon.
If by chance you are familiar with the Internet and this publication is of interest to you, feel free to check it out from afar at utdailybeacon.com upon returning to your hometown following today’s game.
Now, without further ado, it’s time to talk trash about a group of smiling Daily Beacon staff members residing on the port side of this page.
Troy: It would appear that good luck seemingly would be on your side. However, one would have to commend you for what would seem to be an impressive consistency that you have displayed so far this season.
Gage: The Daily Beacon chief copy editor is a Chattanooga native who defected to Knoxville for college, and after three years of roaming in the journalistic wilderness of his own naiveté, Arnold is the Cinderella story in this year’s competition. It should be noted that Arnold and Provost-Heron made drastically different picks this week, which will inevitably cause a shakeup at the top of the standings.
Melodi: Remarkably consistent picker in 2013. And no, that is not a gender-based comment. The fact is that Erdogan is attending the second UT football game of her college career on Saturday. She often prefers to spend her Saturdays devoting time to her work as an aspiring fashion writer. If roles were reversed and the sports editor was tasked with predicting future fashion trends, he would likely fail miserably. Then again, he could always ask his sister for advice.
Ken: In a stunning turn of events, Gassiot – associate dean of students – failed to make his selections in time for print this week. Gassiot could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. For further developments on this story, follow @DavidWCobb on Twitter.
David: Despite pulling an all-nighter on Monday night to write a 1,500 word book review on a book that his dog ate, Cobb is clearly in line for a 5-0 week with a set of groggy picks that surely foreshadow his future as the lead college football writer for a blog based out of his parents’ basement.
Cortney: Poor, poor Cortney. Keep your head up, young lady. In the words of former UT coach Derek Dooley, “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”
David Cobb is a junior in journalism and electronic media who writes the pick ’em column in third person after pulling all-nighters. He can be reached at [email protected].
