Spring Break
Daily Emerald officially on strike until further notice
Controversy stems from new publisher who would have control over student editor
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: News
The University of Oregon's daily student newspaper, The Daily Emerald, has officially gone on strike effective at 6 a.m. yesterday, March 4.
The Emerald has actively declined to produce another newspaper until the Emerald Board of Directors meets four demands that they have laid out "to preserve student control and editorial independence."
The Emerald wrote a lengthy staff editorial detailing the reasons for their strike and the demands that they hope to see met, promising that they would not make another newspaper until action was taken.
The controversy stemmed from the editorial board wishing to maintain student control and independence over their paper. Steven A. Smith, former editor in chief of The Spokesman Review, was hired to draft a plan for the future of the Emerald and wanted to hire a publisher, guaranteeing a five-year contract and control over the editorial board and the editor's content.
The Emerald newsroom, however, preferred to have a general manager position filled, which would have many of the same responsibilities but would not have "supervisory control over the student editor," according to the editorial.
The board and the newsroom staff voted on Feb. 10 to conduct a nationwide search for a publisher, since that would do the most service to the Emerald. Smith was encouraged to apply for the position as interim publisher while they conducted the search, but required that he receive $80,000 for the 12-month period and that he also be allowed to teach in the School of Journalism and Communication at UO.
Editor in chief Ashley Chase, along with the managing editor and two news editors, debated this proposal on Feb. 17, citing the obvious conflict of interest with Smith teaching and simultaneously acting as publisher, as well as the inability of the Emerald to pay a publisher that much per year.
The Emerald newsroom staff essentially felt that their concerns were ignored, as Smith was chosen for the next year as interim publisher.
The Emerald has actively declined to produce another newspaper until the Emerald Board of Directors meets four demands that they have laid out "to preserve student control and editorial independence."
The Emerald wrote a lengthy staff editorial detailing the reasons for their strike and the demands that they hope to see met, promising that they would not make another newspaper until action was taken.
The controversy stemmed from the editorial board wishing to maintain student control and independence over their paper. Steven A. Smith, former editor in chief of The Spokesman Review, was hired to draft a plan for the future of the Emerald and wanted to hire a publisher, guaranteeing a five-year contract and control over the editorial board and the editor's content.
The Emerald newsroom, however, preferred to have a general manager position filled, which would have many of the same responsibilities but would not have "supervisory control over the student editor," according to the editorial.
The board and the newsroom staff voted on Feb. 10 to conduct a nationwide search for a publisher, since that would do the most service to the Emerald. Smith was encouraged to apply for the position as interim publisher while they conducted the search, but required that he receive $80,000 for the 12-month period and that he also be allowed to teach in the School of Journalism and Communication at UO.
Editor in chief Ashley Chase, along with the managing editor and two news editors, debated this proposal on Feb. 17, citing the obvious conflict of interest with Smith teaching and simultaneously acting as publisher, as well as the inability of the Emerald to pay a publisher that much per year.
The Emerald newsroom staff essentially felt that their concerns were ignored, as Smith was chosen for the next year as interim publisher.
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