Is there a strategy I missed when editor of my college newspaper?  The last few editions of the Spectator, which I read every week, have been front page free adverts for Olive Garden, iPad 4G, and the “Hunger Games” movie.  A black aviator who visits our campus to talk about flying against Nazi jets in 1945 is consigned to page three and less space.  I’ll show my age here, but in the 1980s, I would have put a short story on page 5/6 about Olive Garden et. al., and only if they purchased an ad.  Our flyboy would have been assigned to the best writer, and would certainly be considered for page one.  Hope the editor and her writers are getting some “payola” in exchange for their stalwart efforts to promote corporate America. 

Letter to the Editor by:
John Dunn
professor of history at VSU