Editorial

It is perhaps over ambitious for any student paper to claim a clear cut policy or to attempt any guiding influence on the writings of its staff and contributors. For this reason—the mechanical difficulties facing a part-time student staff, already engaged in full-time jobs and degree work, are considerable; the difficulties of accurate reportage, careful layout, of obtaining illustrations and blocks and soliciting contributions are very great, in fact sufficiently so to tend to squeeze out considerations of policy.

We have, nevertheless, attempted the following things in "Salient" this year. Firstly and within the limits imposed by journalistic experience and lack of time, accurate reportage. Secondly, comment on college events from a point of view fairly close to that of the Executive, with a knowledge of background and of future prospects. We have also attempted to obtain articles and interviews on topics both controversial and of student interest, particularly from outside contributors but also from members of the staff.

This policy demands three things—some standard of journalistic ability for the staff, a sufficiently large circle of student subscribers to make selection possible, and a circulation which will keep the paper solvent.

During this year, as in the past, staff members have been forced, largely by reason of their small numbers, to cultivate the arts of overwork and late nights rather than those of journalism; similarly most of the articles have been from the nucleus of people who organise student activity and not from the readers as a whole. This, perhaps, brings us to the root of the trouble—too few readers and a lack of interest in the paper. This again is coupled with our heavy financial loss—"Salient" is at least as great a liability on the Executive as the Cricket Club. We are faced with a demand for a higher circulation figure, which means a lower price and a better product. To satisfy this we hope next year to defy the tradition of five years and devote one quarter of our space to advertising. This should not only halve the subscription rates but also allow some margin for blocks and photographs. Further to this a regular, large layout should make it possible to delegate authority to staff members and to allow for a greatly increased staff; it is also hoped that the number of outside contributions received will continue to increase.

For "Salient" 1944 we might claim an attempt at a live-wire student paper, an attempt which should come to fruition in 1945.

The thanks of the Editors must be extended to the staff, both literary and distribution, who have put a great deal of time and hard work into "Salient" this year, and to all students and staff members who have contributed articles and reports. Without these people there would have been no "Salient." In conclusion we must thank the Printer, poor devil, who has had so much to contend with.