The Daily Collegian, Penn State’s student-run newspaper, could soon face major financial cuts.
Penn State proposed a more than 50% decrease in funding to The Daily Collegian for next fiscal year, according to editor-in-chief Megan Swift. That means the Collegian’s funding would drop from $425,000 to $200,000.
Swift said they’re appealing the cuts, but also looking at ways to transform the newsroom to become as self-sustaining as possible. She said she was told about the possibility of the cuts right before winter break, but waited until Penn State finalized the numbers with her before talking about them publicly.
“Obviously it’s a huge cut and one that we’ve been sort of considering, but the fact that we’ve known about it now for a few months has given us the opportunity to deeply delve into our finances," Swift said. "What can we cut, what should we keep for the next few years.”
Swift said she’s gotten a lot of helpful input on what to do about the cuts.
“It’s really great to see the community sort of coming together, the journalism community at Penn State. And I’m excited that camaraderie is going to continue in the future and into the way we approach funding and as we’re looking at different revenue streams," Swift said.
The Daily Collegian’s board of directors has sent a letter of appeal to President Neeli Bendapudi, requesting the cut be held to 15%. Other Collegian alumni have also started a petition and letter campaign.