UCLA Student Media is seeking student fee money
That’s right. As of last night our undergraduate student government voted overwhelmingly to place a referendum on the UCLA May ballot that would provide my department between $200,000 and $230,000 in student fee revenue per year.
The students still have to vote to pass it, but I think it stands a very good chance. We’re on the ballot with a number of other student organizations that are in trouble financially, and will hopefully be receiving $3 out of a $12.75 quarterly fee to support the Daily Bruin and other media on campus.
Anyway, the obvious conflict of the student newspaper being on the ballot to receive money in the student elections has been a tough hump for me to get over. The Bruin has decided not to endorse any student government candidates this year as one means of making sure we can stay as independent as possible. We’ve also, obviously, committed ourselves to fair coverage of any criticism of the referendum, etc. I’m interested to see how it all goes… and the future of my department depends on it.
Update:
Daily Bruin story on the fee and Student Media: http://www.dailybruin.com/stories/2009/apr/22/student-media-seeks-aid/