Cal State University Times

The embattled staffers of Cal State L.A.’s University Times (Metro, Dec. 22) are correct that independence from student-fee funding would make for a more fair newspaper. When the shots fly, though, they’ve seen fit to look out for their own best interests.

I edited a college paper for a semester and know how easy it is to lose sight of editorial fairness when the editorial content, operations and freedom of coverage are attacked.

Our battle for freedom to endorse political candidates was won, finally, in court. And though it seemed such a supreme battle then to attack overt unfairness, outspoken student politicians and the administration, hindsight (and reading old news clips) surely will show those decisive campus battles to be minuscule compared to the lessons learned in challenging the bureaucratic structure that was tested then.

In a worst-case scenario, the University Times will falter and collapse from funds-starvation. The staffers will graduate, get jobs in the real media world and get on with life.

But I would hope that the staffers might realize that perhaps a cut in pay is worth it to save a floundering journal.

School officials with bright ideas of public relations stories/advertisements will be around far longer than student reporters and editors at this paper.

Good luck in the battle, but maybe a change in battle tactics is in order?

J.G. WIRT II

Editor in Chief

The Daily Collegian

CSU Fresno, Fall 1987

Bakersfield