University of Oregon's student newspaper goes on strike

At most college newspapers, it's assumed that the person in charge will not be someone directly hired by the university.

At our school, we had a student publications board made up of students and faculty that hired and fired the student editor, who otherwise had absolute editorial control.

 

The Emerald (or the Ol' Dirty as staffers affectionately call it) is a independent student publication, where the editorial board is comprised of community, University faculty and Emerald alumni currently working in the field and/or Eugene. The Ed Board hires the EIC (and possibly ME, can't remember for sure) every year. There are also a handful of adult staff members (i.e. non students) who work at the Emerald ... an advertising director (and I believe, now, an assistant ad director), the general manager, the business manager and one or two tech staff members. And a publisher.

The board of directors met with the news staff this morning; not sure on the outcome/if the meeting is over. This is the BOD's statement: http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2009/03/05/News/Board.Of.Directors.Issues.Statement-3660461.shtml

The student body president (i.e. ASUO executive) made a statement supporting the Emerald staff: http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2009/03/05/News/Asuo-Executive.Issues.Statement-3659431.shtml

The Eugene Weekly's blog on the subject: http://blogs.eugeneweekly.com/node/1013
And the Emerald staff's blog on the issue: http://independentjournalism.wordpress.com/


Smith, the former editor at the Spokesman-Review, made regular appearances at the J-School, and the Emerald, while he worked in Spokane. A lot of Oregon alum (and, specifically, Emerald alum) have gone through the S-R either as interns or as staff. Even those Ducks he met who spent no time in Spokane were offered words of wisdom and/or assistance if requested. He was in Eugene at least once a term, speaking to a handful of classes or the Emerald staff or other things related to the campus.

More thoughts will follow ... have to run off for now.

 

It reminds me of the days of working on the student newspaper. Everyone was full of piss and vinegar, and they are still full of it, but it's because most of my co-workers back then work in menial jobs.