Some news trickled down this way from I-77 that caught our attention, even though it probably didn’t land on the radars of anyone who’s not studying journalism.
The independent student-run newspaper at the University of Akron, The Buchtelite, announced this month that it would cease publication of its semi-weekly paper, which had been in operation for 145 years.
A letter from The Buchtelite’s adviser Roger Mezger appeared on the paper’s website in January, explaining that the paper did not have the staff necessary to keep the publication going this semester, but he hopes it still has a future.
Other student publications have bounced back from the brink before.
The Daily Illini, the student newspaper at the University of Illinois, faced a severe financial crisis in 2012. In debt to its publisher for about $250,000, The Daily Illini reached out to alumni and students for help. It continues to publish today.
Could The Buchtelite find a resolution to its staffing problem? Maybe. But every day until then, the student body suffers from a lack of student-centered news coverage, fun features, sports updates, editorials, columns, photos and whatever else the creativity of up-and-coming journalists has in store.
While the University of Akron embarks on a search for a new president and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel continues to climb the administrative ranks, it’s a shame that such a platform for student voices has been silenced.
That student voice is a crucial thread of a university’s fabric. It’s independent of the public relations message provided by the university, and it provides a different point of view than local news outlets, which might not be as in tune with matters pertinent to students. It also gives budding journalists the opportunity to learn on the job and hone their craft in between classes. That, countless college media alumni will attest, is crucial in the journalism field. In almost any field, in fact.
We at The Post recently celebrated our 100th anniversary and value our long-standing history as an editorially independent student paper. We hope we are able to provide a valuable service to students, Athens residents and the alumni and parents who look to us for their Ohio University news.
We wish the best for The Buchtelite, as well as all other student newspapers that might be suffering from a depletion of staff, funding difficulties or other problems that inherently plague student media.
Mezger signed off his letter with a plea to the students of Akron: “I believe that a thriving, independent student voice is an essential part of any college campus. … With your help, The Buchtelite will soon return with a new sense of vitality and relevance.”
We agree, and we hope it does.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
