NEW YORK — Student government leaders and staff members of the
Outlook, the State University of New York at Rockland’s student
newspaper, signed an agreement last week ending an ongoing funding conflict
between the two organizations.
Under the agreement, the
Outlook,
which is funded through student fees and advertising revenue, will receive 6
percent of student government’s total collected student fees. It also
states that the student government is not responsible for the finances or
actions of the
Outlook. The compromise ends a long-term conflict
that began last year when the two groups clashed over an existing agreement,
which required newspaper staff members to present monthly reports on the
newspaper’s activities. At the time, the student government also had
control over how many issues were printed each year and how much newspaper
employees were paid. Under the new agreement, student editors control the
paper’s budget and printing schedule.
Ian Newman, the
Outlook’s adviser, said the stipulations were affecting the
newspaper’s content. In a standoff last year, the student government
locked staff members out of the newsroom after they began looking for funding
sources other than student fees. After discussion with administrators and
student leaders, staff members eventually regained access to the offices and
negotiations resumed.
Newman said he is confident the new agreement will
allow the paper to function independently from the influence of the student
government.
“We’ve been fighting this for years,” he
said. “There is true freedom of [the] press now.”
Debra
Balestra, campus director of student involvement, said the student government is
also satisfied with the agreement.
