General
What is The Retrograde?
The Retrograde is UTD’s official, independently-run student news publication launched September 2024. The Retrograde publishes news, life and arts, opinions and sports coverage every other Monday during the academic year and three times during the summer semester. The Retrograde is the spiritual successor to The Mercury, UTD’s previous student newspaper created in 1980.
Read our full mission statement here.
Does UTD run The Retrograde?
No. The Retrograde is organized entirely independently of UTD or the Office of Student Affairs, meaning the university or its employees cannot control which stories we write or how we write them. All finances, employment, content and outreach are managed exclusively by UTD students. The Retrograde will be overseen by a board of directors composed of UTD faculty, professional journalists and student media mentors, and advised by a student council representing various student organizations at UTD. The Retrograde is currently pursuing 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
Who funds The Retrograde?
The Retrograde is funded through donations, grants, sponsorships and print and digital advertisements. All revenue is put toward annual operating costs and long-term goals such as print publishing, contributor pay and equipment for staff. Occasionally, The Retrograde runs fundraisers to cover specific costs relevant to our journalism, such as paying for public records requests.
Where can I read The Retrograde?
The Retrograde publishes biweekly on its website with plans to expand into print publishing. Find all our latest articles on our website or follow us on social media for real-time coverage and story teasers.
Instagram: @retrograde_news
LinkedIn: The Retrograde
Twitter: retrograde_news
How can I submit articles to The Retrograde?
The Retrograde accepts opinion-editorials from students and letters to the editor from anyone within the UTD community, including faculty and alumni. Read our full policy here.
Tips, requests and suggestions for news and life & arts coverage should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the above email. To join The Retrograde as a reporter, artist or photographer, email our Editor-in-Chief Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez at theretrogradenews@gmail.com for further details.
How can I join The Retrograde?
The Retrograde currently staffs writers, graphic artists and photographers. Hiring applications typically open each semester. Staff members are currently unpaid and receive volunteer hours for their contributions to The Retrograde.
Applications are primarily reviewed during the summer semester, but during the fall and spring semesters The Retrograde employs a rolling application process where applicants are considered once they fill out the application form and email the Editor-in-Chief.
For more information about current opportunities at The Retrograde, visit our Join page.
How can I donate to The Retrograde?
The Retrograde currently runs a GoFundMe and a Patreon account. Donations are used to finance annual operating costs and contribute toward long-term goals like print publishing, contributor pay and equipment for staff.
All donations are considered general donations and will be used for whatever journalistic or operational end The Retrograde’s management team sees fit unless a particular use is specified upon donation.
History
What happened to The Mercury?
Due to UTD administration’s pressure and censorship against student journalists, culminating in the termination of Editor-in-Chief Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez from his position, The Mercury’s staff and management team went on strike and ceased publication Sept. 13, 2024. Later that month, former Mercury members launched The Retrograde to continue student-run journalism at UTD without administrative oversight.
Read more about former Mercury members’ decision to strike and create a new publication through our news coverage and editorial.
Can I still read articles published in The Mercury?
Yes. All the content published on The Mercury’s website, utdmercury.com, is still publicly available. UTD’s Student Government is currently working on digitizing The Mercury’s physical archives so anyone can access Mercury coverage from its inaugural 1980 issue to its final issue, published Sept. 16, 2024.
Is The Retrograde just The Mercury rebranded?
No. The Retrograde is a legally separate organization unaffiliated with UTD’s administration, while The Mercury was organized under UTD’s Office of Student Affairs. The Retrograde’s internal policies, ethics and journalistic standards are largely identical to the ones employed at The Mercury.
Policies
Does The Retrograde allow anonymous sources?
In short, not usually. Anonymity is granted to sources at the sole discretion of the Editor-in-Chief in cases where stating a source’s name puts them in danger of physical or emotional harm; potentially impacts legal proceedings or active litigation; potentially results in discrimination or firing from employment or academic suspension or expulsion; or other demonstrable harm as deemed significant by the Editor-in-Chief, and the source’s contribution to the story is deemed indispensable. Only the Editor-in-Chief may grant anonymity; if you have been promised anonymity by any other member of The Retrograde for a story without explicit confirmation from the Editor-in-Chief, contact the Editor-in-Chief immediately.
The full text of The Retrograde’s anonymity policy is as follows:
The Retrograde’s anonymity policy is guided by the questions posed by the SPJ ethics committee, other reputable publications, industry experts and the material conditions affecting campus coverage.
The Editor-in-Chief of The Retrograde is the sole member of the student newspaper capable of granting anonymity. Reporters should never tell sources that the reporter can grant them anonymity. they must inform the Editor-in-Chief about the request for anonymity and provide all relevant details regarding the request to the Editor-in-Chief to allow for a holistic consideration of the request.
Articles under the Life & Arts and Sports sections should never have anonymous sources. News stories concerning sensitive topics, ongoing legal action and other imminent risks to sources may be granted anonymity at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Examples of subject matter and articles that merit anonymity are provided in the examples portion of Section 1.1.1- Anonymity. Editorials may use information from an anonymous source at the discretion of the editorial board; however, articles within the Opinion section ought to avoid the use of anonymous sources.
Sources must be identified whenever feasible, since the public is entitled to as much information as possible regarding the source’s reliability. Reporters should use every possible avenue to confirm and attribute information before relying on unnamed sources. If the only way to publish a story important to The Retrograde’s audience is to use anonymous sources, then the reporter should identify the source as clearly as possible without exposing the anonymous source’s identity.
Pseudonyms should never be used when granting a source anonymity to avoid confusion in the article. Anonymous sources should instead be referred to with as much supporting information as possible such as “source in X student group,” “source in X administrative office,” or simply “anonymous source.”
If a source requests anonymity before an interview, reporters should immediately connect the source with the Editor-in-Chief. This can take the form of copying the EIC onto the email chain or giving the Editor-in-Chief the source’s contact information so that the Editor-in-Chief may contact the source as soon as possible.
If a source requests anonymity during an interview, reporters should inform the source that only the Editor-in-Chief may grant anonymity. Reporters should then attempt to call the Editor-in-Chief for immediate contact with the source. If the Editor-in-Chief is unavailable, the reporter must ask the source if they are okay continuing with the interview and discussing anonymity with the Editor-in-Chief afterwards. It should be made clear to the source that if The Retrograde decides to not grant them anonymity and the source does not want to go on the record, then their information will not be used by the publication.
The Retrograde does not apply retroactive anonymity to a source. If statements were given willingly on the record and a source decides to renege on their agreement to be on the record, then the source should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief. A source reneging before publication may have their statements removed from the article at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief; however, published statements should never be changed unless under the most exceptional circumstances such as fabrication or misattribution.
The Editor-in-Chief should always consider what motivations a source has for seeking anonymity. The Editor-in-Chief should ensure that a source is not seeking anonymity in an attempt to boost their own position by undermining someone else’s, to even the score with a rival, to attack an opponent or to push a personal agenda. Anonymity is a tool to protect key vulnerable sources, it should not be a bludgeon used by sources to attack others free of repercussions.
Promises and agreements made by the Editor-in-Chief with a source must be kept. If a source has been granted anonymity, then they should receive it fully within the relevant article. Reporters should NEVER promise anonymity to a source of their own accord.
The identity of an anonymous source should be restricted to as few people as possible. In most cases, the identity should be known only by the Editor-in-Chief and the reporter.
In instances where there is no other form of corroborating evidence, such as public records, video or photographic evidence, it is preferable to have various sources, even if anonymous, confirm information. For instance, if international students working at the Dining Hall have been mentally or physically abused by their managers, having two or more anonymous sources supporting this point is much better than a single anonymous source. Like all information from sources, it is the responsibility of The Retrograde to ensure the highest degree of accuracy within the sourced information.
Examples
Examples are provided to serve as a framework of interpretation for the points outlined within the above section. This list is neither conclusive nor exhaustive, and real situations typically have an intersectional overlap of multiple considerations. The Editor-in-Chief should first and foremost work to protect the safety of students being interviewed for an article.
Where anonymity ought to be granted by the EIC on request:
- A student has been sexually assaulted by a professor or other campus employee. It would be preferable to use other, potentially also anonymous sources, who have undergone a similar experience instead of a single allegation.
- An international student working at the Dining Hall has been mentally or physically abused by their managers. Having two or more anonymous sources supporting this point is much better than a single allegation.
- Students arrested by UTDPD are being legally and/or academically prosecuted by UTD
- Student at risk of being put on Canary Mission or other doxxing platforms because of protest activities are being interviewed about the protest or similar political event
- A student is interviewing about something that puts them at risk of losing their degree or facing academic suspension or even expulsion from UTD
- A student who fears physical or financial abuse at home is interviewing about being LGBTQ+
- A student is interviewing about something that directly and immediately increases their risk of a racial or other hate crime/discrimination
- A student in the middle of litigation or a class action lawsuit wants to share some relevant details but has been advised to maintain silence by lawyers
- A student has done something illegal and is on the run from cops; we are interviewing them about it
Reasons not to grant anonymity:
- Someone fears for their reputation or social standing
- Someone fears for future employment prospects
- Someone “feels unsafe” without the existence of a researched, demonstrable real world impact on their physical or mental safety
- Someone wishes to spread hateful or controversial rhetoric without immediate social consequence
Does The Retrograde have a code of ethics?
The Retrograde follows the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, as outlined below:
- Seek Truth and Report It: Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
- Minimize Harm: Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.
- Act Independently: The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.
- Be Accountable and Transparent: Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public.
I have an idea or a tip, will The Retrograde investigate/report on it?
Tips, requests and suggestions for news and life & arts coverage are welcome, and should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief. Any information provided to The Retrograde in confidence will be used in independent investigation and will not cite your name without permission.
If a tip or request of yours did not materialize into an article, it may be because The Retrograde has incorporated it into a long-term investigative project or was unable to gather enough evidence to meet our fact-based journalistic standards.
Source FAQs
“How do I know the person who contacted me is a Retrograde reporter?”
Retrograde reporters will only contact you through their UTD student emails and copy their supervising editor onto the chain. You can ask to speak directly with their supervising editor if interacting with a Retrograde reporter in person.
“Why do reporters ask to record the interview? Why not take notes?”
The Retrograde requires that all its reporters use recorders and take notes. This practice ensures information is reported accurately, and recordings are also saved in the event that The Retrograde must verify quotes. Interview recordings are considered confidential and securely maintained within The Retrograde’s system.
“What is ‘on the record’?”
Speaking to a reporter “on the record” implies that anything said during the interview could be quoted or otherwise published and attributed to the speaker. If a source would like to share sensitive information not fit for publication, they must explicitly state that during the interview, which is called “going off the record.”
“How soon do I need to respond to a reporter?”
Reporters have a three-to-four day timeframe to write and turn in their first drafts. Ideally, a reporter will contact you on a Monday to ensure they have enough time for interviews before the week ends. Reporters may determine the need for a source later in the process, sometimes contacting a source early in the second week of the production cycle. However, a reporter should provide the source with a three-to-four day timeframe to respond. In special circumstances, like breaking news, a reporter might contact you on the phone for an immediate response.
“I don’t want to have an in-person interview. Can I do the interview via email?”
To avoid the risk of censorship and promote authenticity, The Retrograde strongly discourages the use of email interviews. Only the Editor-in-Chief may permit an email interview.
Staff reporters want to have conversations and develop positive working relationships with their campus contacts. While we always prefer an in-person interview, reporters may interview sources on the phone in the interest of time and availability.
“Why won’t the reporter send over the questions? How should I prepare for the interview?”
According to Retrograde policy, reporters are not allowed to send out questions to sources prior to an interview. We want interviews to be conversational to allow for a candid discussion of the issue at hand. However, you may ask the reporter about the topics that will be covered and the perspective the reporter is trying to provide to the story.
“I want to read the story or at least my quotes before it goes to print to make sure it is accurate. Why won’t the reporter send it over?”
According to Retrograde policy, prior review is prohibited. Reviewing content prior to publication is not an accepted practice in student and professional publications. Especially in the college setting, prior review would significantly increase the risk of censorship. Anything that is spoken “on the record” can be used for the purposes of the story unless clarified as above. Like most professional publications, The Retrograde leaves quotes unaltered, only making slight edits in order to aid reader comprehension. The Retrograde is committed to reporting information accurately.
To ensure accuracy and fairness of particularly complex or sensitive subject matter, reporters can call sources to review select parts of the story in order to confirm factual accuracy. This is done at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.
“A story was printed that pertained to my department, and we were not given a chance to respond. What should I do?”
Contact the Editor-in-Chief and inform them that you were not provided with a chance to respond. They will work with you to get the correct information published. This typically manifests as a correction to the original article, which is implemented on The Retrograde’s website and social media immediately and runs in print in the next issue.
“I wasn’t happy with a reporter’s behavior or the information in the story was inaccurate. Whom should I contact?”
Please contact the Editor-in-Chief to report the issue. If it is determined that factually inaccurate information was published, corrections and/or redactions will be made online and on social media as soon as possible and discipline, if deemed appropriate, will be administered to the relevant writers.