Advocate General Information
The Advocate is the official student publication of Kansas City Kansas Community College. It is published biweekly while school is in session, except during the summer.
The Advocate is published by students at KCKCC, who are solely responsible for its content. Editorial comments appearing in this publication do not necessarily reflect the attitudes or opinions of the student body as a whole or of the faculty, staff, administration, or Board of Trustees of the College.
KCKCC offers equal opportunity to all students and is an equal opportunity employer for all personnel. Various federal and state laws, specifically Title IX of the federal Educational Amendments of 1972 require that the policies of this college be administered without regard for race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, physical handicap or veteran status and that this policy be made known by inclusion of a statement thereto in all of its publications. Though the Advocate is published by the students rather than the college, the Advocate adheres to the requirements of Title IX.
The staff of the Advocate may, at its discretion, edit, clarify, otherwise modify or reject any material submitted for publication, including but not limited to guest editorials, letters to the editor, and advertisements. To submit material for the publication please include a name and phone number so a staff member may contact you if questions arise. Submission of an advertisement does not constitute a commitment by the newspaper to publish the ad. Publication of an advertisement for products, services, or claims does not represent an endorsement by the Advocate.
Each reader may take one free copy of each issue of the Advocate for her or his personal use. Up to 30 additional free copies may be taken if the reader intends to pass the additional copies on to additional readers (such as a professor taking copies to share with a class). Anyone needing more than 30 copies should come to the advocate office and request the required amount.
Copies for use other than reading may also be obtained from the Advocate office. Copies of the issue currently on the stands- if needed for a use other than reading- are $5 per copy. Copies of past issues that have been removed from the stands and designated for recycling are available free of charge while supplies last.
Removal of newspapers from the stands for purpose other than reading without paying the per-copy price is an act of theft. All illegal activity directed at the newspaper, its facilities and/or its staff will be reported directly to Campus Police. Charges will be filed and prosecution pursed against anyone caught violating the legal rights of the newspaper or its staff.
Non-staff submissions
Letters to the editor
Letters to the editor must specifically state that the author requests that the letter be published. The writer must also include her or his name and a phone number the editor can call if and when changes need to be discussed. In general such letters should be no longer than 500 words or so. Preference will be given to letters written by members of the campus community (students, faculty, staff, administrators, and Wyandotte/Leavenworth county residents) and letters concerning stories printed in previous issues of the Advocate. Submissions are limited to one published piece per writer per semester unless the Editor-in-Chief determines that readers have a compelling need for more than one.
Guest editorials and columns
Editorials and columns may be accepted from writers who are not on the staff. Such writers will be identified as “Guest writer” in their bylines. Guest writers are subject to the same standards of professionalism that the staff must follow, including meeting with the editor to discuss corrections and other changes. Submissions are limited to one published piece per writer per semester unless the Editor-in-Chief determines that readers have a compelling need for more than one.
“Freelance” articles
News and feature stories may be accepted from writers who are not on the staff. Such writers will be identified as “Guest writer” in their bylines. Guest writers are subject to the same standards of professionalism that the staff must follow. If a guest writer produces an article about a subject already being covered by a staff writer the staff member’s work will take precedence. This policy also applies to photographs, art and the like.
Our commitment to our readers
We serve the public trust by seeking the truth and reporting it.
We serve the public trust by accurately and honestly communicating information that is relevant useful and interesting to our readers.
We serve the public trust by helping to build a community that values education, respects diverse opinion and makes high quality mass communication a part of its life.
We are mass media gatekeepers, responsible for deciding what should and should not be printed. When we make decisions that affect our publication, at all times we act in strict accordance with the interests of our readers and the standards of our profession.
The ability of a free press to inform, entertain and persuade is one of the most powerful social forces ever created. Even in our small corner of this vital industry, we remain mindful that with great power must come great responsibility.