ASUCLA puts 3 new Web magazines on hold

Publication for three proposed student Web magazines covering
political commentary and world and women’s issues has been
delayed for at least another month because of questions about the
staffs’ training.

Instead of approving the three online magazines, the Associated
Students of UCLA’s Communications Board voted unanimously
Monday night to have staffers for all the proposed Web-based
publications attend training sessions where staffers learn about
libel, ethics, and news judgment.

“People on the board had pretty legit concerns,”
said media director Arvli Ward. “They’re just doing
their job so when people go into publishing, they’re armed
with the info they need.”

The Communications Board is a component of ASUCLA that oversees
Student Media which includes the Daily Bruin, several
newsmagazines, UCLAtv, the UCLA radio station and the yearbook,
Bruinlife.

The editors of all three proposed projects ““ Criterion,
Josie and The Worldly ““ expressed disappointment over the
delay.

“I think their concerns are valid, but they’re
totally basing their opinions on initial reaction,” said
editor-in-chief of The Worldy, Jennifer Chang, adding that she
already has a full staff eager to continue with publication.

Chang also expressed frustration that she and LiLi Tan of Josie
““ a women’s magazine concerning issues like self-esteem
and body image ““ were not given a chance to express
their views to the board.

“I wish they would have let me and Jennifer speak before
they made the proposal (for training),” said Tan.

Tan added that Josie has already sparked an interest among the
people she has talked to.

The board first discussed Andrew Jones’ Criterion, a Web
magazine that would contain news and commentary on a variety of
political issues, such as “being more critical of the
Undergraduate Students Association Council” ““ issues
the Daily Bruin might not be able to cover, Jones said.

Jones, who already has a staff to work on Criterion and is a
former Daily Bruin columnist, said the board’s
decision-making systems and procedures are
“antiquated.”

Instead of becoming an independent online publication, he and
his staff will just wait it out.

“ASUCLA offers (resources) that you can’t get alone
… I’ll stick with it,” he said.

Tan said the training sessions concerning libel issues should be
on a case-by-case basis, and not all magazines are libel
liabilities.

“There’s nothing wrong about writing about
self-esteem,” she said, referring to the focus of Josie.

But during the meeting, Sara Goodman, chairwoman of the
executive committee of the board, expressed concern over the lack
of supervision of the proposed Web-based publications, which could
result in libel cases.

“It could lead to irresponsibility that’s not done
with malice, but with not enough knowledge,” she said during
the meeting.

According to Ward, the training sessions, in which the six other
newsmagazines and online publication participate, will take a total
of four hours over the course of one month. The board will meet
again on Nov. 12 to assess the training.

Though the board has had several proposals for new magazines
over the years, the last newsmagazine, al-Talib, was approved more
than ten years ago.

Print publications are not being approved because of the high
cost of printing, and the lack of office space that these
newsmagazines would require, Ward said. He added that Web-based
publications, in contrast, can do the job fairly cheaply.

The Worldly is an independent newsmagazine that had to go from
print to the Internet due to high printing costs.

Last year, The Worldly produced four issues, but only had enough
funding for 500 copies.