SIAP: PSU defunds the Daily Collegian

Big_O

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
996
1,486
93
The Collegian was a great paper and rated the #1 college paper in the country when I attended Penn State. The quality of the paper has taken a nosedive over the past decades. As far as I am concerned, it can disappear and I wouldn’t care.
 

Bwifan

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
1,562
2,802
113
While I am frequently a critic of some of the poor writing that appears in the paper, this is not a way to balance the budget

Daily Collegian defunded

I agree on 1 hand I like to see them reducing costs/overhead but this is not even a drop in the bucket. There is tons of fat that can be trimmed. Let Barry sharpen his knife and get things rolling...
 

PSUFTG

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2021
1,472
2,313
113
The Collegian had been receiving about $400,000 in annual funding - was cut to approx. $200,000 last year and now set to go to $0

Couple things:
1) This "cut", whether one is for or against it, is less than rounding error wrt the University's fiscal issues. Without question 10X 100X probably 1,000X more impactful savings could be realized by engaging in waste reductions/enhanced efficiencies that would in no way impede any of the University's missions. Yes, every dollar adds up - but?
2) Many - maybe most - of the higher quality student run newspapers, around the country, do not receive University funding. IIRC, the papers at Columbia and Northwestern, to name just a couple of the more respected student papers, do not receive university funding.
3) If a paper wants to proclaim that it is independent - and then relies on funding from the University (by far, the most impactful institution regarding the issues they are likely to be writing about) the potential conflicts of interest are glaring.
4) I would hope - for the sake of the journalism students, if nothing else - that the Collegian can find a way to reconfigure their financials so as to continue operating more or less as is.
5) If they do, a couple of positives: A - They can truly claim to be independent, and maybe that will lead to better journalism. And that can only be a good thing. B - The students will gain valuable real world "journalism" experience - including how to manage their revenues and expenses in a more realistic environment (Yes, learning how to run the business aspect of a media operation is just as important as learning how to edit copy). That could also be a good thing in the long run.
 

GrimReaper

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
6,419
8,872
113
The Collegian had been receiving about $400,000 in annual funding - was cut to approx. $200,000 last year and now set to go to $0

Couple things:
1) This "cut", whether one is for or against it, is less than rounding error wrt the University's fiscal issues. Without question 10X 100X probably 1,000X more impactful savings could be realized by engaging in waste reductions/enhanced efficiencies that would in no way impede any of the University's missions. Yes, every dollar adds up - but?
2) Many - maybe most - of the higher quality student run newspapers, around the country, do not receive University funding. IIRC, the papers at Columbia and Northwestern, to name just a couple of the more respected student papers, do not receive university funding.
3) If a paper wants to proclaim that it is independent - and then relies on funding from the University (by far, the most impactful institution regarding the issues they are likely to be writing about) the potential conflicts of interest are glaring.
4) I would hope - for the sake of the journalism students, if nothing else - that the Collegian can find a way to reconfigure their financials so as to continue operating more or less as is.
5) If they do, a couple of positives: A - They can truly claim to be independent, and maybe that will lead to better journalism. And that can only be a good thing. B - The students will gain valuable real world "journalism" experience - including how to manage their revenues and expenses in a more realistic environment (Yes, learning how to run the business aspect of a media operation is just as important as learning how to edit copy). That could also be a good thing in the long run.
The Columbia Daily Spectator hasn't received University funding for sixty years. It's primary sources of revenue are advertising and alumni contributions (it has a nice little endowment). As often as not, it runs an annual surplus.

That aside, PSU's contribution to the Collegian probably wouldn't cover Neeli's Daily coffee service. Does she intend to forego that?
 

psuro

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
7,987
17,406
113
>$400k per day for coffee. Holy hell.

I really chose the wrong profession. 😞
Looks like you picked the wrong day to stop drinking enough coffee...among other things

the movie drinking GIF
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bison13

GrimReaper

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
6,419
8,872
113
The Collegian had been receiving about $400,000 in annual funding - was cut to approx. $200,000 last year and now set to go to $0

Couple things:
1) This "cut", whether one is for or against it, is less than rounding error wrt the University's fiscal issues. Without question 10X 100X probably 1,000X more impactful savings could be realized by engaging in waste reductions/enhanced efficiencies that would in no way impede any of the University's missions. Yes, every dollar adds up - but?
2) Many - maybe most - of the higher quality student run newspapers, around the country, do not receive University funding. IIRC, the papers at Columbia and Northwestern, to name just a couple of the more respected student papers, do not receive university funding.
3) If a paper wants to proclaim that it is independent - and then relies on funding from the University (by far, the most impactful institution regarding the issues they are likely to be writing about) the potential conflicts of interest are glaring.
4) I would hope - for the sake of the journalism students, if nothing else - that the Collegian can find a way to reconfigure their financials so as to continue operating more or less as is.
5) If they do, a couple of positives: A - They can truly claim to be independent, and maybe that will lead to better journalism. And that can only be a good thing. B - The students will gain valuable real world "journalism" experience - including how to manage their revenues and expenses in a more realistic environment (Yes, learning how to run the business aspect of a media operation is just as important as learning how to edit copy). That could also be a good thing in the long run.
Moving on from the Collegian:

1. what sort of progress is PSU making in tackling the annual operating deficit; and

2. since the Administration is reducing funding of a student activity, paid for, no doubt, with tuition or mandatory fee dollars, what sorts of perqs are senior administrators giving up in the effort to trim the deficit?
 
  • Like
Reactions: bbrown and Bison13

baltimorened

Member
Oct 19, 2021
121
134
43
The Collegian had been receiving about $400,000 in annual funding - was cut to approx. $200,000 last year and now set to go to $0

Couple things:
1) This "cut", whether one is for or against it, is less than rounding error wrt the University's fiscal issues. Without question 10X 100X probably 1,000X more impactful savings could be realized by engaging in waste reductions/enhanced efficiencies that would in no way impede any of the University's missions. Yes, every dollar adds up - but?
2) Many - maybe most - of the higher quality student run newspapers, around the country, do not receive University funding. IIRC, the papers at Columbia and Northwestern, to name just a couple of the more respected student papers, do not receive university funding.
3) If a paper wants to proclaim that it is independent - and then relies on funding from the University (by far, the most impactful institution regarding the issues they are likely to be writing about) the potential conflicts of interest are glaring.
4) I would hope - for the sake of the journalism students, if nothing else - that the Collegian can find a way to reconfigure their financials so as to continue operating more or less as is.
5) If they do, a couple of positives: A - They can truly claim to be independent, and maybe that will lead to better journalism. And that can only be a good thing. B - The students will gain valuable real world "journalism" experience - including how to manage their revenues and expenses in a more realistic environment (Yes, learning how to run the business aspect of a media operation is just as important as learning how to edit copy). That could also be a good thing in the long run.
I know this might seem out of place, but how does the university have fiscal issues? PSU tuition ranks in the top highest in the nation every year, they have a foundation in the $4billion range, and every year somebody like bellisario donates millions.
It might seem that PSU might have similar problems as our federal government. There's plenty of money coming in, but the leaders have poor control over what goes out. Can't we find someone who is a strong enough manager who can get control of the finances?
 

GrimReaper

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2021
6,419
8,872
113
I know this might seem out of place, but how does the university have fiscal issues? PSU tuition ranks in the top highest in the nation every year, they have a foundation in the $4billion range, and every year somebody like bellisario donates millions.
It might seem that PSU might have similar problems as our federal government. There's plenty of money coming in, but the leaders have poor control over what goes out. Can't we find someone who is a strong enough manager who can get control of the finances?
Simple: it spends more money than it takes in, nine figures worth.
 

PSUFTG

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2021
1,472
2,313
113
I know this might seem out of place, but how does the university have fiscal issues? PSU tuition ranks in the top highest in the nation every year, they have a foundation in the $4billion range, and every year somebody like bellisario donates millions.
It might seem that PSU might have similar problems as our federal government. There's plenty of money coming in, but the leaders have poor control over what goes out. Can't we find someone who is a strong enough manager who can get control of the finances?
Without going into the boring details: Spending wheelbarrow loads of money, on things that do nothing to achieve the missions, will lead you to that point.

Here are just two very broad examples:
Do you know we "spend" nearly $100 Million per year on "expenses" from the endowment? Not "spending from the endowment" for things like scholarships, faculty, etc - spending $100 million from the endowment each year, for "management expenses" of the endowment, much of it paid to who knows who?
Spending, regularly, 25%, 50%, 100% more on capital projects than our cohorts do for similar projects (that adds up to hundreds of millions of $ pretty quickly). Why? Who knows?
 

Countrylion

Well-known member
Oct 30, 2021
2,817
5,358
113
Without going into the boring details: Spending wheelbarrow loads of money, on things that do nothing to achieve the missions, will lead you to that point.

Here are just two very broad examples:
Do you know we "spend" nearly $100 Million per year on "expenses" from the endowment? Not "spending from the endowment" for things like scholarships, faculty, etc - spending $100 million from the endowment each year, for "management expenses" of the endowment, much of it paid to who knows who?
Spending, regularly, 25%, 50%, 100% more on capital projects than our cohorts do for similar projects (that adds up to hundreds of millions of $ pretty quickly). Why? Who knows?
So they pay someone 2.5% per year to invest the endowment. Hope they do a good job
 
Oct 12, 2021
1,862
3,161
113

Hugh Laurie

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2021
391
549
93
There's plenty of money coming in, but the leaders have poor control over what goes out. Can't we find someone who is a strong enough manager who can get control of the finances?

I think E. Gordon Gee is your guy. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Nov 3, 2021
118
307
33
The Columbia Daily Spectator hasn't received University funding for sixty years. It's primary sources of revenue are advertising and alumni contributions (it has a nice little endowment). As often as not, it runs an annual surplus.
About 20 years ago a group of successful Collegian alumni approached the Collegian board about setting up an endowment ala Columbia. They stressed the need for the Collegian to be truly independent and were willing to write checks for the initial funding, set up annual fundraising, and hire professionals to do the paperwork. In return they wanted seats on the board. The Collegian board politely listened and then eventually declined, saying they knew that Penn State would always have their back.
When the s&^% hit the fan in 2011 Penn State made it clear what reporting they wanted to see, and that the situation was being dealt with and, to quote Karen Peetz, "it will all be forgotten in four years". The Collegian followed orders, became Pravda, and has never recovered. OnwardState and StateCollege.com are eating their lunch and OMG! Penn State does not, in fact, have their back. The Collegian alumni are not returning calls.
 
Get unlimited access today.

Pick the right plan for you.

Already a member? Login