From the Editors

Contrary to what some people may think, the Indiana Daily Student was not raised in a barn and it does not spend an inordinate amount of time conversing with sailors. \nAnd yet, we do occasionally print vulgar or profane language in stories. Case in point, readers of the front page story "Reserve Kline helps team despite criticisms, boos on home court" in Monday's issue were greeted with a quote from IU senior forward Sean Kline that we knew would spur some questions, concerns or complaints:\n"I know my job -- what I'm supposed to do and what's asked of me," Kline said. "If I do that, then we're going to be a winning basketball team, and that's all that concerns me ...\n"I could give a fuck."\nA great deal of consideration went into whether that last word would be included. Any time a vulgarity is submitted in a story for publication in the newspaper, IDS editors follow our code of ethics, which stipulates that words (as well as pictures and graphics) commonly considered profane "not be used gratuitously or for shock value." It goes on to require that "the profanity be used in a justifiable, appropriate context and when alternatives have been considered."\nEditors followed those steps Sunday night. First, we determined that the quote was not used as a shock tactic -- rather it encapsulated Kline's frustration and added to the meaning of his statement. Go back and read the first paragraph of the quote one more time without the last line -- it loses the bite, the anger and the frustration that those last five words so effortlessly, albeit controversially, bring to it.\nTaking it out, we decided, would then have stripped an important sentiment from the quote. And if used, our code of ethics also requires that the full word be spelled out, so replacing certain letters with asterisks or other characters was not an option.\nUltimately, Editor in Chief Rick Newkirk, who has the final say on the matter, decided the context and meaning warranted the quote's inclusion and approved it for publication.\nSo far, reaction to the story has been encouraging. While we did hear from someone who thought we should not have used the word, we have also so far received three letters to the editor -- two from alumni and one from a student -- that chastised the fans for booing Kline in the first place (see Thursday's Jordan River Forum to read them). While that response can't be pegged solely on the inclusion of the F-word, it does suggest that Kline's choice of words resonated with some readers and offered a summation of his attitude that might have gone unreported otherwise.