Orbis Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN School population: 10,855The Nation
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN School population: 10,855 Surrounding population: 1,231,311 Funding: 25 percent from Vanderbilt student communications, 75 percent from advertising “The paper developed an awareness among the entire campus that there are other liberal students around. Vanderbilt is a conservative school–at least there is a preconceived notion that Vanderbilt is ultraconservative, so liberal students don’t seek out like-minded people.” –Jay Prather, Orbis editor
UW-Madison Madison, WI School population: 41,552 Surrounding population: 208,045 Funding: advertising, fundraisers, garage sales, donations, subscriptions “To a large degree people on the left are already exposed to the issues we’re presenting or have read something similar. But for people who are bored between classes and pick up a copy, it challenges them and their assumptions…. The Insurgent is an effort to call out other student newspapers for not bringing coverage to liberal issues.” –Mike Gonzales, Insurgent collective member
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC School population: 25,480 Surrounding population: 48,715 Funding: 100 percent from finance committee of student government. Due to university budget cuts the Boiling Point’s allotted funding has been cut in half. “You need to have some sort of foundation for activism. You need the publication because you need a place to work through the tactics, successes and things like that. Activism is all connected, feminism is linked to the black student movement, etc. To do activism on your own without talking to other people…it’s going to be less successful.” –Jenny Stepp, Boiling Point founding editor, 2000-01
Boston University Boston, MA School population: 30,000 Surrounding population: 589,141 Funding: mostly donations from campus activists, also advertising and donated books “The Underground was funded by leftist campus activists largely because the Daily Free Press never covered the events these activists were organizing. Over time and probably in response to the competition, the DFP did begin to cover these stories. The Student Underground, no longer secure in its niche, then evolved into a more sophisticated publication with a deeper commitment to journalistic integrity. Today, most of our members still believe strongly in student power on campus and liberal, progressive, or anarchist politics.” –Dan Malakoff, former Student Underground editorial board member
UC-Berkeley Berkeley, CA School population: 33,145 Surrounding population: 102,743 Funding: 100 percent ethnic-studies department “It’s often easier to get funding through ads and I know some people who paid from their own pockets. Alternative publications have been left out of the increase in university funding for many years now…. [The student association] has plenty of money, I just wish they’d pay more attention to publications.” –Harish Bhandari, X production and layout
Humboldt State University Arcata, CA School population: 7,611 Surrounding population: 16,651 Funding: 100 percent HSU-associated students “The Matrix defines itself as a feminist publication. We see feminism not as narrowly defined women’s issues, but also feel the need to work at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality and nationality.” –Jessica Gary and Janine Wolfe, Matrix editors
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH School population: 5,495 Surrounding population: 5,355 Funding: mostly student organizations committee, with advertising “The Dartmouth Free Press gives legitimacy and space to issues that the daily paper of Dartmouth cares little about. Our first year’s issue talks about Dartmouth’s gay scene. When there was a big pro-Palestinian protest on campus, the Free Press did a full issue covering the protest, with writing from both sides, including a historical analysis of the conflict. The daily paper lets events determine what they cover. The Free Press chose to cover the AIDS crisis because it is important and will never be an event.” –Kumar Garg, Dartmouth Free Press editor
Illinois State University Bloomington, IL School population: 20,592 Surrounding population: 100,000 Funding: 50 percent student fees, 50 percent advertising “The ideal of the alternative newspaper has to be bringing alternative ideas to the community…. you can’t be a left-wing newspaper for left-wingers only. [Left-wingers] are not as important as people who are not sure, don’t know enough and don’t agree with you.” –John Wilson, Indy editor
Portland State Univeristy Portland, OR School population: 21,841 Surrounding population: 529,121 Funding: 100 percent student fees “As recent as two months ago I wrote about the new conservative student magazine created on campus and exposed the real motives behind their tactics of personal attacks and trying to eliminate student fees that support ‘leftist organizations’ on campus, as they put it. Some of the ‘leftist’ groups they are worried about are the Black Cultural Affairs Board, the World Dance Office, the Women’s Center, etc.” –Dimitris Desyllas, Rearguard editor
College of Staten Island/City University of New York Staten Island, NY School population: 12,089 Surrounding population: 443,728 Funding: 100 percent student activity fee “As we believe that students are exposed to enough advertising in their lives, which exploits their wallets, minds and bodies, we do not accept advertising of any kind (except from certain nonprofit groups). Due to budget cuts, our college administration has encouraged us to accept corporate advertisements, but so far we have refused.” –Neil Schuldiner, Third Rail editorial collective member
The NationTwitterFounded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.