Shawn Safvi | Letter from the Executive Editor

Your group is holding what you believe to be the coolest, most interesting event of the season. Much to your chagrin, when you open the DP the next day, it's not there.

Sound familiar?

After holding the DP's second "Open Forum," I've learned that there is a major communication gap between the DP and student groups.

A common concern that I heard from several students was that they didn't know how to contact the DP when they were holding an event they thought would be of interest to the Penn community.

It was particularly disconcerting to hear about news associated with various student groups that was not covered by the DP because of miscommunication, or because of the misconception that the DP would not want to cover the event in the first place.

It isn't a matter of us purposefully ignoring you. Several factors play into how we decide what to cover.

First, we're a small newspaper, and don't necessarily have the space to cover every event that goes on. We publish a campus event listing each week in print and online to specifically address this need.

Second, we want our news to be relevant to as many people as possible. In the interest of our readership - which doesn't just include undergraduate students - we have to make the tough calls as far as what is newsworthy.

Finally, we at the DP like to think that we have a good feel for everything that is happening on campus, but our reporters and editors are not infallible, and can't be everywhere all the time. We need you to help keep us posted on what is going on in the several hundred student groups at Penn.

Getting the right information to the right person is crucial. The best way to let us know when you have a story idea is to e-mail us at newstip@dailypennsylvanian.com. Your e-mails will be forwarded to our news editors, who are responsible for determining what gets covered.

We feel that our "Open Forums" have been a great way to hear from students about various issues, such as the one above. But we also have other plans in the works to find out what's on your mind. Later this month, the DP will be holding a series of focus groups.

In these focus groups, we will be looking to get feedback on design and content. This is a great opportunity to let us know what you would like to see in the DP. If you still need convincing, participants will be paid $10 to compensate them for their time.

Look out for sign-up tables on Locust Walk, as well as advertisements in the paper explaining how to sign up if you are interested in participating. For those of you who are especially eager, you can go ahead and e-mail our Business Manager, Maki Puri, at puri@dailypennsylvanian.com to directly sign up.

In addition to these focus groups, I will be holding the DP's final "Open Forum" of the semester on Monday, March 26 in Houston Hall. If you haven't had an opportunity to attend one this semester, it's your final chance to let me know what you think about the DP.

And if that isn't enough, there will be free candy.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.