My first reaction was “that’s clever.” It was followed by “I’m so glad my students didn’t write it.”
The response was to a headline in Monday’s issue of The Daily O’Collegian, the student newspaper at Oklahoma State University.
The headline reads: “Diamond in the Muff.” It is for a story about a new strip club opened by a Oklahoma State alum.
The story reads:
“Jerry and Amber Elledge have made bare breasts their business.
As husband and wife, the two own the Blue Diamond Cabaret, a strip club, at 7320 E. Sixth St.
The club opened Jan. 13, less than a month after the Doll House closed.
Jerry, who has worked in adult entertainment for 15 years, said his passion for his work started when he was an Oklahoma State University student.
‘I went to my first topless club at 21, and I never really left,’ Jerry said.”
The headline generated discussion among members of the state’s collegiate media association, which is directed by a member of the OSU faculty and includes The O’Colly’s adviser.
The question seems to be whether The O’Colly’s editors were simply appealing to their student audience or if they were being sensational.
While I’m not offended by the headline, it seems this is a good time to practice the “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” standard of journalism ethics.
The O’Colly’s editors should have considered the mass of their newspaper readership, which goes beyond the student body. They also should have considered how the headline might impact people’s views of the legitimacy of their publication. As one newspaper adviser said in an email during the discussion:
“ I believe a rule of thumb for the editors to measure the acceptability of a headline is to determine if it wants to be a tabloid or a credible newspaper. ‘What would the New York Times do?’ versus ‘What would the National Enquirer or a similar publication do?’ “
One thing is for certain. The O’Colly got people’s attention.
Let’s Talk Nerdy!
What do you think of The Daily O’Collegian‘s headline? Is it ethical?
About Prof KRG
[...] word that rhymes with it and refers (perhaps derogatorily) to a part of the female anatomy. Read it HERE. I’m sure a lot of folks read the story because of the headline. But, to be honest, I’m [...]
[...] my own response when initially seeing it, prior to any controversy. As she wonderfully begins a related blog post, “My first reaction was ‘that’s clever.’ It was followed by ‘I’m so [...]
[...] may recall my post about the newspaper’s “Diamond in the Muff” headline, written for a story about [...]