Virginia Tech student paper faces loss of funding
The Collegiate Times — Virginia Tech’s student newspaper — has been told by the school’s Student Affairs commission that it could have its funding cut.
All because it allows anonymous comments on its web site. Seriously.
Tonia Moxley of the Roanoke Times reports today:
The Collegiate Times was notified in writing this week by the Commission on Student Affairs that it may be in violation of the university’s “Principles of Community” for allowing anonymous online comments to be posted to its Web site.
In a letter to Kelly Wolff, general manager of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, dated Feb. 8, commission chairwoman Michelle McLeese laid out a proposal that, if approved, would cut university funding to the paper, which is owned by EMCVT, a legally independent entity.
Despite its independence, the newspaper receives free office space and $70,000 annually from the university, Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Spencer said.
The commission would further seek to ban student organizations from using university funds to buy ads in the CT, the letter stated.
The Collegiate Times did incredibly good work during the huge shooting incident there three years ago. Go here for my story about the events that week.
In fact, a photographer for the Collegiate Times, Shaozhuo Cui, was shooting pictures in front of the the main administration building next to Norris Hall — the classroom building where most of the killings happened when campus police suddenly realized he matched the profile that had been reported of the shooter. They arrested him in full sight of the other photographers, including Alan Kim of the Roanoke Times:
He wasn’t released until hours later.
Former Editor & Publisher reporter Joe Strupp writes:
I suggested three years ago that the paper be considered for a Pulitzer Prize for its work,which was honored when its editor was invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner that year. This cutback in funding would be the ultimate irony and the ultimate shame.
Find the Roanoke Times story here.
Find the Collegiate Times‘ web site here.