There is no doubt that the article published on Monday’s cover of The Miami Hurricane stirred controversy.
There are rumors circulating campus regarding the ongoing investigation of Pi Kappa Alpha, yet neither UM officials nor members of Pike could speak to us. In an attempt to reflect what a number of students have been saying about Pike, we published quotes from unnamed sources.
Although our method may have been ill-advised, there are indeed people talking about the investigation. Our sources could not be corroborated independently, yet they were legitimate: Two unrelated sources made comments about what they had heard around campus – and those were only two of the many comments we had heard.
Still, in hindsight, the staff and I recognize that we could have represented those rumors in a better way. As students, we are learning how to be better journalists through every edition we produce – from this situation, we have learned how to better handle such gossip.
We have also learned, that to maintain our credibility as a newspaper, it is important to provide information that has been confirmed by a source with firsthand knowledge.
Unverified rumors aside, Pike has in the past faced some scrutiny. This is the third time in six years that UM’s chapter of Pike has been investigated. Still, prior incidents and scrutiny does not mean Pike is guilty of the current rumors or anything at this time. Pike needs to be treated fairly and the university needs to conduct a full investigation.
Regardless of whatever reputation the fraternity may hold, there has been no confirmation of the truthfulness of the rumors spreading through campus. Because of this, the online version of Monday’s article has been edited to reflect a more factual representation of the investigation. And, as in the original version, the article explains that the fraternity’s president has acknowledged the rumors and has insisted that they have nothing to do with the actual allegations against Pike.