As with every story, this one has two sides.

It’s a modern-day morality play, with emotion facing off against business.

And on Friday, the little guys (or the big, bad guys, depending on whom you believe) gained a victory.

When the Iowa Newspaper Association refused to directly support Partnership Press (read: Michael Gartner and Gary Gerlach), the Daily found out what happens when people hear the truth.

The INA’s legislative committee denied Partnership Press’ request to reaffirm the association’s stance on the Non-Competition Act, which legislates the relationship between government-affiliated and privately held businesses.

Countering repeated Partnership Press allegations of “professionals” selling ads and reporters with “absolutely no guidance” were Daily employees who insisted that students are in control.

Said John Gaddis, the Daily’s student ad manager, “Professionals do not handle accounts at the Iowa State Daily.”

Now, somebody’s not right — but wouldn’t you believe the people actually involved with the activities in question?

Despite the barrage of twisted truth from Partnership Press, the INA’s legislative committee managed to make the right choice.

If they had gone with the guys in bowties, well, who knows what could have happened.

A statewide journalism association would have taken sides in a dispute between two of its members, which is never a good idea.

The Daily would have inched one step closer to being reduced to Gartner and Gerlach’s favorite catchphrase, “a lab paper.”

And the aforementioned tycoons would have won another battle in a war that to them, oddly, is intensely important.

In their own words (from the Op/Ed page of the Jan. 5, 1998, Tribune), “It was a good year at the Tribune.”

And later, “Last year, revenue reached a record of almost $4.6 million.”

Meanwhile, reporters at the Daily spend the whole day on one story, and then get paid 15 bucks.

Everyday, all-day news editors only make $25 per issue.

“The rich get richer … “

So why do they need to stomp on students?