We’ve chosen to include one of the many emails we received about this article concerning Whyalla and the angle UniLifeMag took when reporting it. It’s there for you to make up your own mind on what we wrote. We did reply to the email and requested the author, or someone in Whyalla, write a ‘positive view’ of Whyalla. If you’d like to reply to our article, throw us an email.
I’m not sure if you have any influence over what goes into the UniLife Magazine, but I have had a few people complain about the article on page 26 of the April 27th-May9th 2010 edition. Their concerns, which I share, is that it presents an inappropriate and inaccurate description of Whyalla. It paints a poor and biased picture of a community that is actually trying to lift itself after some difficult years.
I quote from an email I received from a concerned senior staff member at Samaritan’s College in Whyalla:
“I don’t know the person who wrote it, but unfortunately their information is staggeringly incorrect. Less than 30% will finish year 12 in year 7? The actual number is very close to 85%. And for those who don’t finish year 12 it si more likely because they have employment or training – not dropped out (this is from Samaritan, not sure about Eyre High)
Not sure where the author got their data – they definitely didn’t ask anyone at Samaritan.
Do you think it paints a good picture of Whyalla? “Most young people are heavy drinkers in Whyalla”??
I had one of your current students contact me about it because he wanted to write a reply on behalf of Whyalla saying how incorrect the article was. He said he was shocked.
I’m not sure the article covered the bases that the magazine was hoping it would.”
As you can see, the article has certainly raised the ire of this community. If this was the intent, then I guess you have succeeded but it doesn’t actually reflect well on UniLife or on the journalist concerned.
I cannot imagine that you would print a retraction, but an alternative and more accurate view of Whyalla in a future edition of the magazine would be desirable.
WANT MORE?
Check out the original article that caused such an uproar in the town – Whyalla: A Failure of Expectation
Read the article in the latest edition of UniLifeMag that paints another picture of the town – Whyalla: Limitless Expanse, Limited Options
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