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CAMPl S .IOl KNAIJSMCourt bolsters press integrityNEW YORK College newspapers are of an infinite variety Some concentrate on campus news and gossip, A declining number still serve as a public relations medium for the institution, under the benevolent eve of the faculty adviser. But the trend is toward more cosmic concerns, with the freedom to speak out and to devote much space to national and international news.The most professional and aggressive of these student-run papers, such as the Michigan Daily and the Harvard Crimson, have considerable sales off-campus, in competition with the local press. Editors and reporters often are paid regular salaries.Last week, college newspapers won a boost in status Federal Judge Robert F. Peckham. in San Francisco, made it clear that in the eyes of the law these campus productions deserve to be taken seriously on a par with the national news media.Peckham ruled unconstitutional a search of the Stanford Daily's offices by four Palo Alto policemen in 1971 Even though ! the officers had a search warrant1 — they were looking forr photographs to identify' participants in a student riot — the‘ judge held that a search “presentsan overwhelming threat to the 1 press’s ability to gather and' disseminate news. The caset appears to have been the first: instance of a police raid against ai newspaper, thus giving the ruling. significance beyond the campus.The Stanford Daily, with the * university's blessing, quicklyfollowed up its victory with I another step towardI professionalism. It announced that, it was becoming independentBy FRED \I. HECHINGER(C) 197? New YorKTime* News Servicerather than, as in the past, a part of the university structure It thus joined independently operated student papers such as the Crimson, the Cornell Daily Sun. the Yale Daily News, the Daily Californ ian at Berkeley and several others that are immune from administrative or faculty supervision It is doubtful that the move toward independence would have had much support a few years ago when the student revolt was in full swing Many campus newspapers had become radicalized.During the same period, mushrooming underground papers devoted to both political and sexual radicalism were driving the established publications further toward competing in kind But more recently, relative objectivity and serious news coverage have returned to most of these journals.Cutting the apron strings is not easy. The Stanford Daily, for example, operates on an annual budget of $180.000 Most of this is met by advertising income plus some from subscription; but there also has been a university subsidy that last year came to $44,000. This vear. the subsidv is to be reduced to $22,000, then to $11,000, andthe small societyfinally it will be eliminated For two years moreover, the university will pay the daily $17,500 for bulk subscriptions for faculty and staff.Although some conservatives see independence as a potential threat to established politics and mores, many experts of the campus scene are convinced that the gains by far outweigh the risks They cite the following advantages:The independent paper must earn the confidence and support of its readers and is therefore under constraint to be more professional in its approachIndependence makes efficient operations essential to survival, and also makes student journalism a better training ground for news media careers.—Without the university as a protecting shield, student editors are more aware of the danger of libelThe independent student paper tends to enjoy greater credibility among students who do not suspect it of being a public relations tool of the administration.The most serious disadvantage is probably the one facing all independent enterprises the possibility of going bankrupt.by Brie*kinanAMP UMPf3$TAMP6 TMEOF Vb7f26 FB'6 A VoTfZ H IM'SLF —a, t\
Newspaper Details
Morgantown Dominion News
Morgantown, West Virginia, US
Wed, Oct 18, 1972
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Pete E.
NA, 19 Aug 2023
Other Publications Near Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown Dominion Post
Morgantown Morning Reporter
The Morgantown Post and The Dominion-News
Morgantown Dominion News and Morgantown Post
Morgantown Dominion News
