LOUISIANA — Frustrated by administrators’ slow response
to past newspaper theft incidents,
The Hullabaloo, Tulane
University’s student newspaper, sent a bill to the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity last month for taking 400 copies of the newspaper from news stands
and using them for a party.
Editor in Chief Drew Dickson said the
newspaper opted to send the fraternity an invoice rather than report the
incident to campus officials and having to go through an internal judicial
process. Dickson said there have been three other incidents in the past two
years in which a large number of newspapers were taken from distribution points.
Adviser Chantal Bailliet said the previous theft incidents were believed to be
in response to controversial articles.
“Each time previously,
campus authorities, for one reason or another, have dragged their feet [in
response],” Dickson said.
This time, Bailliet said
The
Hullabaloo is treating the incident as a business transaction. Bailliet said
newspapers have a value, though the paper is free, because of advertising
revenue and the students’ hard work.
The Hullabaloo also prints a
disclaimer that says the first two copies are free but all subsequent copies
cost 50 cents. The invoice was for $237.
Bialliet said she has yet to
receive payment from the fraternity. Dickson said he wants Louisiana state
representatives to push for a specific newspaper theft law similar to laws in
California, Maryland and Colorado that make the theft of free newspapers a
crime.
“It is my hope, if successful, that the law might strengthen
our hand if this ever happens again,” Dickson said.
By Marnette
Federis, SPLC staff writer 
