It’s no surprise that the talent pool at Penn State University runs deep with countless gifted and passionate individuals eager to make their mark. The school has numerous reputable student-run publications that cover just about anything under the sun, from creative to breaking news that gives students an opportunity to explore new journalistic writing techniques.
These outlets are the ones that keep us in the know. They keep us in the know about current events, current hot topics and student opinions.
Budget Cuts
The Daily Collegian has been a strong student voice for 136 years now— a legacy news outlet dedicated to chronicling State College. Founded in 1887 independently of the university, the Daily Collegian covers Penn State and State College communities.
Earlier this summer, the Penn State Board of Trustees made a lot of budgeting decisions including a 100% cut in funding of the Daily Collegian. This funding was responsible for keeping the product free and accessible for students.
“We want people to understand while this is a bit uncertain, everything is going to be okay, and we’re going to figure it out one way or another,” said Daily Collegian editor-in-chief Nick Stonesifer.
For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Collegian will receive $200,000 from the general fund, which is over a 50% cut from the previous year. After that, the number will go to zero.
While the funding cut wasn’t completely unexpected, it was much larger than anticipated. This funding from the university is in exchange for all Penn State students to gain free access to our website and print product. The Collegian remains independent and completely student-run.
So What Exactly Does This Mean for Readers?
“Nothing’s going to change,” said Stonesifer. “The work we do is too important to really downsize in any way. We’re still going to cover the university the same way we have; we’re still going to cover State College the same way we have. Nothing in that workflow is going to change and I doubt it will long after I’m gone.”
The Collegian is also exploring new funding avenues, like the student fee and grants, but Stonesifer says that there will be no real operational changes to the publication and how it’s run.
Student-run publications are the lifeblood of a university’s communication system. They provide a platform for students to engage with campus culture and explore their creative talents while catering to the interests of the diverse student body.
How You Can Help
“Read the Collegian. We can’t do what we do if the community doesn’t feel that we are relevant — doesn’t feel like we can contribute to what their needs are in terms of the news,” said Stonesifer.
As another student-run publication, VALLEY wants to uplift by means of our shared dedication to campus representation and the preservation of creative expression.
