For those that do not know, this year at the Branding Iron has turned into one of the most eventful years yet, to say the least. Over the last couple of weeks you may have seen the #savestudentnewsrooms across various social media platforms. The time has come to explain why this hashtag is trending on your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Branding Iron joined a national movement, #savestudentnewsrooms, in which the issues we have faced on this campus will be brought to light and to show that we are not alone. The movement started after Southern Methodist University forced its newspaper to re-affiliate with its campus paper, the Daily Campus, due to a lack of funding. This is only one example.
Student run newspapers across the nation are dealing with financial instability, pressure from their administrations and other issues similar to those faced by the Branding Iron.
In order to provide context, we should go back to the beginning. The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees (BOT) decided to take the money from reserve accounts across campus, Student Media included. Student Media lost roughly $1.1 million that we earned from advertising money and funds allocated from student fees, these reserves are no longer ours. Student Media is required to apply to receive the money back. This money would provide Student Media with the funds to renovate the basement of the union.
At the conclusion of last year, Student Media was moved to the Beta House, located at the last house on fraternity row, far from the middle of campus and major student events. Originally, Student Media was only to be placed in the Beta House until January 2017, at which point we were to move to the basement of the union. The renovations continue to be pushed back. After recent BOT meetings, Student Media was given new meeting dates due to our placement on the agenda and the time frame allocated for the meetings. We will be lucky to obtain our new space in the union at the conclusion of the fall semester 2018.
But, these are only a few of the obstacles we are facing in order to keep our newspaper alive and credible. This year we ran into new problems. Being university employees, we completed mandatory duty to report trainings. That duty to report came directly in conflict with our journalistic duty to protect anonymous sources when we published a story concerning sexual assault.
Not only does being a university employee hinder our rights, but it creates a chilling effect throughout the newsrooms.
Our writers have often been intimidated and are still intimidated by stories that may ‘hurt someone’s feelings,’ for fear they may be approached by either the police or administrators. We are not saying that we have never done anything wrong, as we are a learning lab and mistakes are made. But the response of university police and officials was excessive at times. Writers feared trouble with the police, trouble with the administration and one of our international members even feared deportation. As a result of this writers have felt pressure to shy away from stories that would have otherwise been covered. Furthermore, in some cases the backlash from the administration and those in positions of authority have troubled writers to the point of quitting.
These writers should not have to work in fear.
The Branding Iron joined this campaign to protect student journalism as we are the voice for the students.
Student newsrooms across the nation are under fire. Forced to give up hard-hitting stories for fluff pieces, afraid to upset their administration. The Branding Iron will not be that paper.
So we write to you, to ask you for your support. Help us save student newsrooms across the country. Send us testimonials, which will be published online, about the importance of Student Media and the Branding Iron. Donate to our GoFundMe page so we can reward writers with scholarships.
This is the cause for which we are fighting daily and with your help we can make great strides for student newsrooms. As a student-run paper we are a learning lab and will continue to be, as long as the administration allows us to be.
