Over spring break, without discussion or prior notice, the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) informed The Argus that the WSA’s Student Budget Committee (SBC) will revoke all funds they approved for The Argus at the beginning of the semester, and temporarily suspend them going forward. Combined with a noncommunicative “Working Group” created last semester by the WSA to deal with publication funding, led by WSA members who have expressed hostility toward The Argus, this incident seems to be one of many aimed at removing our funding. *We want to clarify that we will be able to stay in print, at least for now.*
Argus funding is not unreasonable. Over the past year, 176 people have worked for, written for, or contributed to The Argus, and the newspaper not only provides a valuable experience for them but is also a valuable community resource.
The Argus requested and received donations last fall from alumni who thought they were providing a fund to protect our independence in the event the WSA suddenly decided to revoke or refuse to provide a budget. Ironically, the WSA is using the existence of this money as a pretext for revoking a previously approved budget, and has said that we may not request more funding until we have exhausted the donations. There is no policy in the WSA bylaws providing for the funding of student organizations to be reduced as a result of fundraising, and this action by the WSA has made The Argus an unwitting participant in the collection of donations under false pretenses.
In reaction to last semester’s controversy, part of the WSA’s approach has been to consider forcing us to go completely digital. Abandoning our print edition would mean the great loss of our production and layout staff, who obtain valuable training in their positions and enjoy being part of the Argus community; it would also cause a loss of thousands of dollars per semester in print advertising revenue that goes toward our paid positions. More broadly, being a newspaper without a newspaper would decrease our readership and the value of what we provide to our staff and to the community. Most importantly, newspaper decisions should not be made by an outside body in which we do not have a voice.
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Please sign this petition to call on the WSA to stop threatening Argus funding, and to stop making decisions through autocratic and secretive measures. A signature further expresses support for more transparent financial policies, and for protecting publication finances from WSA politics.
Your signature can be private, meaning not displayed to the public. However, should we present this petition to the WSA, your name will be visible to them unless you request otherwise in the comments.
To see the full editorial on this issue, click here: http://wp.me/pqwcr-riI.
Updates
March 22, 2016
The emails I receive from students and alumni about this situation continue to confirm that the independence of our campus paper is worth this fight. Dealing with the opaque decisions of the WSA is exhausting but we are continuing to push for transparency regarding these funding cuts behind the scenes. We are still here and we are not giving up on holding them accountable.
March 22, 2016
Seeing this level of support for independent journalism is exhausting in the best possible way. I am drained by the fight but knowing so many of you value this work keeps me going.
Reached 100 supporters
March 22, 2016
44 Comments
A school like Wesleyan deserves a journalistic outlet as fair and unbiased as possible. Defunding the Argus and forming multiple smaller opinionated voices on campus deprives us students of that kind of good journalism.
As a faculty member, I'm very concerned about what seems to be a heavy-handed attempt by the WSA to clamp down on the Argus and, by extension, on free expression.
As the former managing editor of the Columbia Daily Spectator, I'm saddened and shocked to hear of this flagrant attempt to euthanize the Argus. Let your student journalists do their jobs, and recognize that nobody benefits if you just shut down what you perceive as a problem.
Sharing and discussing controversial or uncomfortable topics through university publications is a vital way for students to learn how to not only express but also cope with addressing topics that make them uncomfortable. This is part of their education and silencing a venue to do that will be a major disservice to our students.
Unsurprisingly, the Wesleyan Student Assembly continues to make up new reasons to try and take away newspaper funding. This isn't a "PC culture" or diversity issue, but an exclusive group of students simply deciding they don't want a newspaper. For a government that declared a new age of transparency, these actions are anything but.
Wes '03, Head Layout Editor '01 and Production Manager '02
this is why i am glad i am no longer in college. and this is why i am sad to be in the labeled group of "millennials." little crybabies holding onto their stuffed activism bear scared of the first amendment hiding under their bed, calling for their liberal, socialist "parents" to turn the free light on for them to assure them that their feelings will never be hurt. sticks and stones can break my bones but words will cause me to need counseling in a safe space surrounded by the same people and cause my liberal turrets to spout out unlawful demands. these liberal college kids do not appreciate or respect anything. give to the less fortunate, clothes, shelter, food, they appreciate it so much and thank you and make the most out of it. give these kids exactly what they ask for and it's not what they wanted or not enough. they hate the first amendment but use it so much because we let them. i think we need to turn the tables and silence them instead.
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Over spring break, without discussion or prior notice, the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) informed The Argus that the WSA’s Student Budget Committee (SBC) will revoke all funds they approved for The Argus at the beginning of the semester, and temporarily suspend them going forward. Combined with a noncommunicative “Working Group” created last semester by the WSA to deal with publication funding, led by WSA members who have expressed hostility toward The Argus, this incident seems to be one of many aimed at removing our funding. *We want to clarify that we will be able to stay in print, at least for now.*
Argus funding is not unreasonable. Over the past year, 176 people have worked for, written for, or contributed to The Argus, and the newspaper not only provides a valuable experience for them but is also a valuable community resource.
The Argus requested and received donations last fall from alumni who thought they were providing a fund to protect our independence in the event the WSA suddenly decided to revoke or refuse to provide a budget. Ironically, the WSA is using the existence of this money as a pretext for revoking a previously approved budget, and has said that we may not request more funding until we have exhausted the donations. There is no policy in the WSA bylaws providing for the funding of student organizations to be reduced as a result of fundraising, and this action by the WSA has made The Argus an unwitting participant in the collection of donations under false pretenses.
In reaction to last semester’s controversy, part of the WSA’s approach has been to consider forcing us to go completely digital. Abandoning our print edition would mean the great loss of our production and layout staff, who obtain valuable training in their positions and enjoy being part of the Argus community; it would also cause a loss of thousands of dollars per semester in print advertising revenue that goes toward our paid positions. More broadly, being a newspaper without a newspaper would decrease our readership and the value of what we provide to our staff and to the community. Most importantly, newspaper decisions should not be made by an outside body in which we do not have a voice.
---
Please sign this petition to call on the WSA to stop threatening Argus funding, and to stop making decisions through autocratic and secretive measures. A signature further expresses support for more transparent financial policies, and for protecting publication finances from WSA politics.
Your signature can be private, meaning not displayed to the public. However, should we present this petition to the WSA, your name will be visible to them unless you request otherwise in the comments.
To see the full editorial on this issue, click here: http://wp.me/pqwcr-riI.
Updates
March 22, 2016
The emails I receive from students and alumni about this situation continue to confirm that the independence of our campus paper is worth this fight. Dealing with the opaque decisions of the WSA is exhausting but we are continuing to push for transparency regarding these funding cuts behind the scenes. We are still here and we are not giving up on holding them accountable.
March 22, 2016
Seeing this level of support for independent journalism is exhausting in the best possible way. I am drained by the fight but knowing so many of you value this work keeps me going.
Reached 100 supporters
March 22, 2016
44 Comments
On so many levels, this defunding is reprehensible. While there is no guaranteed establishment for a particular newspaper, there is absolutely no cause to disestablish the existing paper of record. As an alum, a liberal American, a former SBC member, and so many other things, this is repulsive to my ideals of free speech and considered conversations.
A school like Wesleyan deserves a journalistic outlet as fair and unbiased as possible. Defunding the Argus and forming multiple smaller opinionated voices on campus deprives us students of that kind of good journalism.
As a faculty member, I'm very concerned about what seems to be a heavy-handed attempt by the WSA to clamp down on the Argus and, by extension, on free expression.
As the former managing editor of the Columbia Daily Spectator, I'm saddened and shocked to hear of this flagrant attempt to euthanize the Argus. Let your student journalists do their jobs, and recognize that nobody benefits if you just shut down what you perceive as a problem.
Sharing and discussing controversial or uncomfortable topics through university publications is a vital way for students to learn how to not only express but also cope with addressing topics that make them uncomfortable. This is part of their education and silencing a venue to do that will be a major disservice to our students.
Unsurprisingly, the Wesleyan Student Assembly continues to make up new reasons to try and take away newspaper funding. This isn't a "PC culture" or diversity issue, but an exclusive group of students simply deciding they don't want a newspaper. For a government that declared a new age of transparency, these actions are anything but.
Wes '03, Head Layout Editor '01 and Production Manager '02
this is why i am glad i am no longer in college. and this is why i am sad to be in the labeled group of "millennials." little crybabies holding onto their stuffed activism bear scared of the first amendment hiding under their bed, calling for their liberal, socialist "parents" to turn the free light on for them to assure them that their feelings will never be hurt. sticks and stones can break my bones but words will cause me to need counseling in a safe space surrounded by the same people and cause my liberal turrets to spout out unlawful demands. these liberal college kids do not appreciate or respect anything. give to the less fortunate, clothes, shelter, food, they appreciate it so much and thank you and make the most out of it. give these kids exactly what they ask for and it's not what they wanted or not enough. they hate the first amendment but use it so much because we let them. i think we need to turn the tables and silence them instead.
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On so many levels, this defunding is reprehensible. While there is no guaranteed establishment for a particular newspaper, there is absolutely no cause to disestablish the existing paper of record. As an alum, a liberal American, a former SBC member, and so many other things, this is repulsive to my ideals of free speech and considered conversations.