I am writing regarding the March 25 issue. Upon receiving the paper, I was surprised to see that the entire front page consisted of yearbook photos; however, upon further reading the issue, I was appalled to discover that nine yearbook photos were printed without permission.
As Editor-in-Chief of Vox Populi, I have always supported other school publications; however, this lack of judgment has caused me to speak out against The Chronicle.
While it is true that yearbook and Chronicle are encouraged to share photos, this should be a collaborative effort; it does not mean that you are simply entitled to them. If a yearbook staff member photographs an event, the photos belong to the yearbook staff.
It has always been policy that if Chronicle would like to use a yearbook photo, permission should first be requested. In the past, yearbook has always cooperated with your requests [for example, the cover of your Feb. 11 issue was a Summer Brave photo taken by yearbook staff member Daniel Lundberg]. However, this incident has turned sharing into an obligation rather than a voluntary action.
I am very disappointed by the lack of communication involved regarding girls soccer photos. Chronicle specifically asked for state photos (state finals, semifinals, etc.); league games were never mentioned in our conversations and therefore were not included among the list of photos you could not use.
Because of your failure to communicate, the photo of Leah Merkle (taken by yearbook staff member Olivia Kestin) on the cover of the March issue will also appear on page 168 of the 2009 yearbook. In addition, there were eight other photos published in The Chronicle without our permission. I am disappointed with the carelessness of your editorsâ decisions and astonished at the audacity involved in these inappropriate actions.
As a consequence, this incident has led me to lose respect and enthusiasm for The Chronicle and I am truly disheartened by the trust broken because of your actions.
