Comm. Board plan threatens independence

Comm. Board plan threatens independence

Sadly, it’s become the norm to hear of rising costs and
declining revenue for organizations. UCLA is no exception.

For instance, hard financial times have forced the students’
association to plan for the privatization of some student services,
such as ASUCLA Travel and Graphics services. And it was only a few
years ago that the university administration successfully shut down
and consolidated departments due to shrinking state resources.

Here at Student Media – the Daily Bruin, KLA radio, Bruin Life
yearbook and the seven newsmagazines – slim wallets are familiar.
In a quest for more cash, two members of the Communications Board
(which governs Student Media) have proposed major changes to that
board’s structure.

The Daily Bruin strongly opposes this proposal. Such a change
could only be detrimental to both our editorial independence and
the overriding principle of Student Media, whose premise is to make
students’ visions a reality.

The plan, which the board will vote upon this Wednesday,
proposes to add three professional members with full voting powers.
This change would slash the clear student majority on the board,
thereby making it more difficult for student representatives to
carry out their vision – an unacceptable change.

We believe that financial independence is crucial for
maintaining editorial integrity. Currently, the Daily Bruin is
funded solely through advertising revenue. As such, we have enjoyed
substantial editorial freedom.

This has not always been the case. Indeed,the history of Student
Media has been fraught with attempts at censorship, especially
during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. Back then, Student Media
depended upon reg fees for much of its funding, a reality that
weakened attempts at editorial autonomy.

In addition, roughly 30 years ago, conflict raged between
nonmedia campus members – who desired influence over media content
– and Daily Bruin staff, who believed that such meddling would
amount to censorship. Chancellor Young opted for a compromise by
establishing the Communications Board.

The 13-member board is currently comprised as follows:

* Four undergraduates and four graduates appointed by their
respective student presidents.

* One faculty member appointed by the Academic Senate.

* One administrator appointed by Chancellor Young.

* One alumnus appointed by the Alumni Association.

* One professional member appointed in consultation with
professional media organizations.

* The media director appointed by the above members of the
board.

Changing this composition to depend upon donations from wealthy
philanthropists would place Student Media in jeopardy of
compromising editorial control.

Furthermore, we find it highly problematic that, according to
board Chair Deanna Cherry, professional members would require full
voting privileges to attain a sense of integration with the rest of
the board. Such a set-up would leave Student Media susceptible to
outside influences, whose primary concerns would be monetary.

In fact, this structure could leave Student Media vulnerable to
self-aggrandizing, status-seeking and/or power-mongering
individuals – a possibility that undergraduate president York Chang
recognized and denounced at the Operations Committe of the board
last week.

While the professional members might never seek to influence the
direction of coverage, the option would exist. That is
intolerable.

The goal of journalism has been to distance itself, as much as
possible, from any conflict of interest arising out of close
financial ties with anyone who could exert influence over coverage.
Such liaisons only cripple journalists’ ability to retain a sense
of objectivity.

But board members Deanna Cherry and Aron Schwartz believe that
high-profile professional members would allow Student Media access
to clout and resources (read: money) for expansion and growth.

Financial concerns are familiar to the Daily Bruin. Currently,
much of The Bruin’s profit margin funds a large portion of the rest
of Student Media. We understand that our own business cannot grow
as long as our profits are directed this way.

The answer, though, is not to make ourselves a charity case for
wealthy individuals. Instead, we should ensure that Bruin Life
continues to charge enough for yearbooks to cover costs, and see to
it that KLA acquires an AM transmitter so that it can be heard past
the Cooperage. In addition, we should pursue a stronger
newsmagazine advertising desk – a bureau that has existed for a
mere year.

Anything else would harken back to the infant stages of
journalism, when publishers and papers were tied to the political
and financial whims of a few individuals interested in manipulating
the public for personal gain.Comments to
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