Journalism advocates slam decision to close 50-year-old Fanshawe College student newspaper
The student union at the London, Ont. school made the decision to end publication
The decision by the Fanshawe College student union to close the school's longtime student newspaper and move its funding to other union priorities is being condemned by the head of the Canadian Association of Journalists, and others who train young journalists.
The move to stop publication of The Interrobang was "unacceptable," said Brent Jolly, the national advocacy group's president, who expressed criticism over the apparent lack of say given to Fanshawe's students.
Last week, the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) said publication of the college's only campus newspaper would end, both in print and online, on April 4.
FSU officials have said the move was not a cost-cutting measure, and indicated to The Interrobang itself that it came after a reassessment of FSU's budget amid a steep drop in international students.
It means one fewer student newsroom where aspiring journalists could learn the trade, Jolly says.
"The thing we really need to think through is the role news plays in our communities. Whether you're talking about La Roche, Sask., or you're talking about Fanshawe College, this is a public service," he said.
"This is an opportunity for people to train, to learn and communicate ... This is about fostering a dynamic and engaged community, and how it's animated. For me, this is unacceptable."
He said it didn't seem like students were given any say, or that The Interrobang was given much notice such a decision was being made. The student union said it did not consult students, but that its elected representatives voted on the decision.
"This is a national news story. This is not just a small thing ... This is a violation of press freedom. Whether it's on campus or somewhere else, that makes no difference to me," Jolly said.
The bi-weekly newspaper employs up to 12 student journalists, and began printing under The Interrobang name in 1973. It's published by the FSU and funded through its base budget to the tune of roughly $250,000 annually, Siddharth Singh, the FSU's president, estimates.
The decision was not made lightly and was not done to save money, but to reallocate resources elsewhere, Singh told CBC News last week. He suggested the money could go toward, among other things, using Interrobang staff to create social media content for FSU. He also said the money would fund a new full-time student union advocacy position, with an annual salary of approximately $60,000.
"I think that very principle is quite antithetical to the point of having a news organization on campus," Jolly said. "It's not a PR agency for the student union."
Singh told CBC News that three student executives and an eight-student Board of Directors voted unanimously to shut down the newspaper, citing declining online and print readership, something its editor disputes.
An online petition has been launched calling for a referendum to fund the paper with a $2 per student levy, rather than the FSU budget.
On Wednesday, Singh said he was pleased to see students speaking up, and said the petition would be brought forward to board members at its next meeting.
"We are open (to) supporting them. As an example, they came to FSU to book a table and space to do their petition, which again, we want these kinds of approach from the students, where they are speaking up to what they believe in," he said.
Asked why FSU was waiting for the petition instead of reversing course and getting student input another way, Singh said surveys of students weren't usually done for operational decisions. (That would include The Interrobang's budget.)
He added an exception was being made and the petition would still go before the board regardless of how many signatures it amassed.
Among the signatories is Gina Lorentz, the coordinator of Fanshawe's journalism program, which operates XFM News, the news side of the college's FM radio station, 106.9 The X.
Lorentz said she was surprised to hear of the newspaper's closure, which she found out about through her students, many of whom write articles for it on a part-time basis.
"In terms of the impact on the campus and the students and the college, it really is a lost voice," she said. The paper helped keep students informed, and reflected what was happening on campus.
She added that other avenues should have been explored to rework or save the paper in some way, noting The Interrobang also produced podcasts which aired on The X.
"It has been such a great training ground as extra portfolio material, extra experiences and feeling what you're doing really does matter. To have it dismissed is clearly a bit of a shock and disappointment."
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