OT: the death throes of print media, UGA edition
The University of Georgia's (formerly) student-run newspaper The Red and Black is in jeopardy after the editorial staff walked out in protest after they lost editorial control. The document outlining changes unilaterally forced on the student staff (available through that link) is, IMHO, extremely unprofessional and, coming from somebody who is supposed to be overseeing student writing and editing, surprisingly incompetent.
This is pretty OT but might be of interest since the Dragas/Sullivan drama at UVA got some attention here. It's also kind of funny to watch print media destroy itself. (This comes after the newspaper cut its publication schedule to once-a-week a year ago.) I'll go ahead and downvote myself now.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:53 AM ^
August 16th, 2012 at 2:05 AM ^
I wonder what is the upside for the school doing this. Or conversely, what is the big fear of having an actually student run paper, especially if it just comes out once a week and you don't think it is hard-hitting enough as it is?
I guess I could probably be persuaded by a "These kids are dumb" argument just as easily as I could be persuaded by a "These corporate fat-cats are stifling expression, maaaaaan" argument, but I wonder what is actually going on here.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:10 AM ^
the paper is independent, getting its funding from ads rather than university coffers.
the problem that the board seems to have--and we don't know who most of these people are, yet--is that it's *too* hard-hitting. here's a link to the directive that caused the exodus.
the poster to whom you responded asked how this was an example of print media destroying itself. doing my best The_Knowledge impression, this very well could be the end of the red & black as a print venture. i assume the editorial staff can come up with some minimal funding to regroup as a web outfit, and it should be easy for them to steal virtually all of the current writers. i don't see how a print edition, that's apparently already in some trouble vis-a-vis circulation, would stay alive when faced with competition occupying a moral high ground.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:11 AM ^
so i thought i was due.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:54 AM ^
Why is that funny?
August 16th, 2012 at 2:05 AM ^
The last time somebody asked me why something was funny (after I chuckled when a guy speaking a slavic language said, in response to my question about where he was from, "I'm Bulgarian, but I live in Orlando"), I concluded he was probably a mobster. I might just be a jerk.
But I guess the thought was that the print media does incredibly bad journalism, so the sooner it disappears and leaves a credibility vacuum that good journalism can fill, the better. Watching the many ways in which that's happening is kind of entertaining, if you're sufficiently detached.
If that doesn't do it for you, I give up. Further explanation would be way too political.
August 16th, 2012 at 6:46 AM ^
August 16th, 2012 at 7:49 AM ^
[I like cake]
August 16th, 2012 at 8:53 AM ^
[I also like cake]
As far as the Red and Black is concerned, the editorial staff should simply start another paper. In today's world, it's never been easier for a start-up. Athens is a pretty active community. I could see them embracing the new paper completely.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:10 AM ^
[Yeah, cake is awesome]
August 16th, 2012 at 10:04 AM ^
[Hurray for cake. Everyone is happy]
August 16th, 2012 at 11:19 AM ^
Glad we all agree that cake is great, and that no one felt the need to venture into politics.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:58 AM ^
Don't really see this as a print media issue. This isn't a for-profit paper I assume and the issues regarding editorial control would be just as problematic if it was a blog or an online publication.
The issues here seem to revolve more around the nanny state (not letting kids experiment and/or get into trouble), political correctness (more filters means less uniqueness or edgy voices), bad journalism (all about numbers), educational cutbacks (maybe they just can't afford to put it out as often), and probably a bunch of other interesting issues. I don't doubt that those have an impact on the viability of print journalism, but they are separate from the techonological issues.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:12 AM ^
the paper's (shadowy) board hired 10 non-students over the summer as part of an attempt to increase readership. the rest follows.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:12 AM ^
Not really a print issue, but still disturbing.
August 16th, 2012 at 6:39 AM ^
"The Red & Black has always been the best experience for student journalists. It’s no longer a place where lessons can be learned without “serious repercussions.” We don’t believe that is a learning environment." - from the site
This is rather alarming really. I don't know if I would say that this is an indication of the death throes of print media, but it strikes at quite a few other issues. I would be interested in getting more on the back story to this really.
That being said, after reading the draft memo and circumstances which inspired this walkout, I would applaud their walking out on these changes. Not only does the author of the memo love commas and hate periods for some reason, but it seems clear that the intent was essentially to eliminate anything which might paint the university in a bad light, and really, to essentially eliminate journalism and instead turn the paper into mere reporting of current events for the most part, full of "compelling content based on analytics", to paraphrase the memo.
From appearances, the board was not at all interested in having perceptions challenged and apparently are willing to replace that with photos of readers and tweets from readers. Further, they are also not going to tolerate "liable", it seems, which is obviously a typo, but at the same time, it seems absolutely the intent of the memo, and it is bitterly ironic that a memo which says that they will strive to eliminate errors and typos is rife with them.
I think the former editor is correct - that's not a learning environment for student journalists.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^
In the very sentence where you pointed out that the author really likes commas, you included five.
I'm going to choose to look at this as your way of showing us how silly all those commas look and not as the pot calling the kettle black.
August 16th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
open for enlightenment but a company who financially backs and helps deliver a printed product is unhappy with the standards followed and implemented changes. in short, it appears those running the company feel the paper has become a glorified shock tabloid. the fact it had to note not to use big pictures, unneccessary profanity and/or non-English headlines shows there was something absurd going into that paper. what's more, the examples given are completely unacceptable if tied to true events and warrant such roles. having written for The Daily, 95% of the rules mentioned are ABSOLUTELY part of the standards and practices of the everyday postings. the memo seems to target an environment of immaturity wherein the product suffers because standards aren't met. with this, again, being operated by a publisher, not a university, what am i missing? don't want to live by the rules of your employer? find another job. create a school blog. whatever.
August 16th, 2012 at 6:11 PM ^
the company does not financially back the printed product. ad revenue pays for it, and the publisher pays himself ~173k/year, while the students make little or nothing.
you can read the blog if you actually want to be enlightened.