"I am continually motivated and excited by newspaper work" - Mark Jacobucci, Co-Editor in Chief, "Insight"
CO-EDITORS CAN'T AGREE
By Doug Lyon and Jim Varnum
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Mark Jacobucci and Steve Gregory, editors of the BHS school paper, "Insight", have very different opinions of the paper's relation to the student body and the underground paper, "Threshold".

Steve feels Insight is much too conservative in dealing with matters of importance such as hall passes, etc., while Mark feels that there aren't any important issues at all with the possible exception of tenure.

Steve, Insight Managing and Personal Business Editor, feels there is an "amazing amount of repression" regarding the censorship of stories by "sources that shall remain unnamed", though he added smirking, "we all know who they are".

"The job of a newspaper", says Mark, co-editor in chief of Insight and vice-president of the student council, "is not to represent anybody but itself. The job is to look at the facts from both sides, decide where to take a stand, and take it!"

Feeling that it is not the job of the paper, as a school paper, to represent the school, but to lead its students to do something constructive, Steve noted in particular the need of Insight to advocate disbanding the Student Council, which he says "hasn't done a thing in four years."

The Student Council, Mark said, was expected to interact with Insight, but has as yet shown no signs of doing so. When asked if he was bored with the paper in general Mark said fleetingly "No, no. Not at all. I am continually motivated and excited by newspaper work."

Steve voiced the opinion that Insight doesn't give a true reflection of the school because it is oriented toward an elite group of "jocks". Again he emphasized the paper's conservative stands.

When asked about the modernization of the paper, Mark said "there is more of a horizontal makeup (layout of pages) and a four-column format."

"Too much modernization is bad", said Steve. "And the four-column format is terrible."

"The rapport is much better this year", Mark said, meaning the editor-reporter relationship. "Editors this year go to the journalism students and assign stories. Last year they didn't."

"It's terrible", said Steve. "They, the journalism students, won't do anything we want and we won't do anything they want." He mentioned that there are half as many journalism students this year as last, and very few good ones, partially due to the laws of chance. He claimed that they're lazy - they won't do the stories even if they themselves suggest them without a lot of prodding because it takes work. "Inadequate student support" is how he termed it.

Mark received a number of compliments on the variety of Insight's stories, cartoons and editorials, and the quality of the editorials and stories.

Steve received compliments, mostly on his recently started column "The Gregory Column", and criticisms of Insight.

Steve and Mark do agree on some things, however.

They agree that Threshold represents the news of Mike Diehl (the editor) since he writes most of the articles himself.

"It's not really a newspaper but a collection of editorials", says Steve. "It's very informative."

"Threshold makes for fun reading," Mark said, "but it doesn't inform anyone. All opinions and no facts."

Mark believes the purpose of Insight is to teach journalism students the techniques of writing, not as a mouthpiece for the school.

"It's the learning experience, not the profit". The school paper is appropriated about $3,000 annually he says. A lot of it is gotten back. Insight's sales have almost doubled since last year, from 300-400 to about 600 copies monthly, says Mark. There are seven editors this year and about 30 reporters. The head editors are chosen by last year's staff. When asked if the Insight staff gets what it wants and is satisfied with the results, Mark replied, "No, it could be much better ." "No way," said Steve.

NoEditors note: The preceding interviews with Mark Jacobucci and Steve Gregory were taken on different occasions. Neither had any idea of the other's comments prior to the publication of this article.