I can certainly understand the frustration and anger felt by the five graduate students calling for editor Keesia Wirt’s resignation (Letter, Feb. 13).

However, there are several factors that need to be taken into account that complicate the task faced by the editor.

Keesia Wirt has been embattled for most of the year with law suits that have eroded staff morale and diverted energy from the Daily’s primary news function.

She has also had to manage with a newsroom staff that is hard-working and dedicated, but also understaffed and inexperienced.

Why? Partly because of the downward spiral that occurs when a couple of mistakes are made.

But also because some of the students who normally would provide a nucleus of experienced reporters and editors have been siphoned off by The Des Moines Register and other professional publications.

Besides that, the numbers in news-editorial sequences have dropped significantly across the nation in the past decade. Iowa State is no exception.

These are problems that won’t go away with a new editor or wholesale firings. They need to be addressed immediately, but some will take time to remedy.

Meanwhile, I hope readers will continue providing feedback (and criticism), but with the knowledge that not all of the problems can be solved by Keesia Wirt or even next year’s editor.

But we’ll get there.

Tom Emmerson

Professor

Journalism and mass communication