For years, student newspapers were relatively immune to the financial downturn that has plagued the professional press. As a growing number of student papers face increased financial difficulties, however, those days appear to have concluded. Independently-operated newspapers have been hit the hardest; The Cavalier Daily has chosen to face its current financial struggles by cutting the number of days it publishes in print, shifting towards a digital platform and by appealing to alumni for help. Undoubtedly, the seemingly inevitable shift toward digital-first publishing looms large in many editors’ and consultants’ minds. The challenges of the moment, however, have the potential to motivate members of the current generation to take action and reinvent journalism in a way that will be sustainable for the 21st century.
As financial woes continue to mount for many student newspapers, some outlets have either been willing or forced to compromise their financial independence. It must be remembered, however, that financial independence forms the foundation of editorial independence. The position of The Cavalier Daily as a financially independent and fully student-run newspaper empowers it to speak on issues of importance to the University community in ways that school-funded newspapers cannot. Fulfilling the news needs of an expanding community necessarily includes, in some instances, drawing the ire of University administrators or benefactors. Students learn the most as journalists when they operate independently from their schools. The difficulties of the journalistic process also enable students to engage in the challenge of self-government. As collegiate newspapers begin to fulfill a larger role in the media landscape, financial solvency will continue to be the critical issue.
Independent college news outlets now play a more important role than ever. As the traditional media continues to fracture and adapt to a changing environment, student reporters are filling a crucial void. The current journalism industry is marked by a wide diffusion of news production; the ongoing challenge, as members of The Cavalier Daily staff know all too well, will be to preserve independent reporting while the economic footing of newspapers (advertising revenue, specifically) deteriorates. In such an environment, the extent to which both students and members of the community engage with the work of the paper (and vice versa) will determine the relevance of college newspapers going forward.
As part of the effort to expand the role of collegiate news outlets in the broader media environment, students must be allowed to operate without restrictions. Even as college students and newspapers are making more significant contributions to independent reporting, federal courts have begun to articulate a more restrictive vision for what First Amendment freedoms pertain to students at public institutions. The Cavalier Daily is distinct in that it is fully independent from the University, but other college newspapers that are dependent on school funding may face mounting pressures as federal courts begin to turn their attention to the issue of collegiate journalism. In the 1988 case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court ruled that K-12 educators are justified in regulating school-sponsored speech so long as such regulations relate to “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” The disconcerting ambiguity of the Court’s ruling has led to much sidestepping in the interim and has already led some federal courts of appeals, including the Sixth Circuit in 2012, to extend the ruling to the college setting.
Considering that most college newspapers remain somewhat dependent on funding from their universities, it would be harmful to continue applying the reasoning of this case to the college level. While The Cavalier Daily may not have to worry about this issue, many college newspapers do not have that luxury. At a time when college newspapers are playing an increasingly important role in providing local news coverage for their communities, it would be unwise to establish a legal precedent that allows the restriction of free speech on college campuses with relative ease. News produced by a school-sponsored outlet would be highly vulnerable to Hazelwood censorship, especially where political matters are concerned, where schools would conceivably be justified in censoring news articles that associate the school with any position other than impartiality.
The Cavalier Daily recently commemorated the 125th year since its founding, while the United States faces what could be the commencement of both a journalistic and a democratic rebirth, enabled by inventive social practices and powerful new technologies. Undoubtedly, college newspapers across the country will play an increasingly important role, as they begin to meet news needs that were formerly met by professional news outlets. In order to maximize the democratic potential of the current moment, collegiate news outlets should cultivate new technologies of human connection, experimenting with potential ways of reinventing journalism for the 21st century. The connective opportunities of the digital age, and the social benefits that they offer, also demands a responsibility to participate. While we rightly celebrate the importance of a free, independent student press, it is also critical that citizens take the time and effort to foster the construction of an open, inclusive information flow in their community.
Conor Kelly is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. His columns run Tuesdays.
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