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The Daily Tar Heel

Letter: ?Unfair coverage stops DTH access to Greeks

TO THE EDITOR:

Every fraternity and sorority asks members to refrain from talking to DTH reporters, not just Alpha Delta Pi.

It’s not that we don’t want our stories heard. It’s just the historic “us and them” atmosphere surrounding DTH coverage of the Greek community. There isn’t a sense that we can share aspects of our lives without getting painted as elitists or insane drunks.

The Greek Issue itself presents a prime example of this wedge. In the piece titled “The cost is really hard to justify,” reading closely and ignoring accusatory tones of elitism and racism reveal that all Carolina chapters offer cheaper room and board than the University. With this degree of spin put on concrete numbers, what our words may be warped into is much more worrisome. 

With reputation being a crucial component of recruitment and thus the futures of our chapters, talking to a student reporter still developing journalist ethics trying to make a name for himself/herself becomes a minefield nobody wants to walk through. This trust gap is limiting the quality of DTH coverage on a fifth of the Carolina community.

The Greek Issue’s article on branding focused on a Yankee non-alumnus, ostensibly due to the apprehension of Carolina’s branding chapters to share their rich traditions for fear of media distortion.

The article coverage turned out refreshingly balanced but could’ve been much better had these chapters not felt the need to safeguard themselves from bad press.

W. Coker Holmes

Junior

Environmental studies, political science

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