College's Newspaper Funding Cut After Black Lives Matter Criticism

On Sept. 14, Wesleyan University sophomore Bryan Stascavage wrote in an opinion piece for the student newspaper, The Argus, "If vilification and denigration of the police force continues to be a significant portion of Black Lives Matter's message, then I will not support the movement, I cannot support the movement."

One month later, the paper at the Middletown, Connecticut, college has seen its budget sharply reduced, Reason.com reports.

Stascavage also wrote, "[I]f Black Lives Matter is going to be the one responsible for generating these conversations, then a significant portion of that conversation needs to be about peace."

Despite the mild critical tone of the column, the newspaper stated in a staff editorial posted two days before the Oct. 18 decision that a resolution to reduce funding would cut its operating budget by 57 percent.

"On Sunday, the Wesleyan Student Assembly affirmed a resolution to restructure how The Argus is funded. The resolution is complicated, but it would substantially decrease The Argus's printing budget," Reason reports.

"The WSA claims the purpose of the resolution is to 'reduce paper waste,' by printing The Argus less frequently."

In its Oct. 16 staff editorial on the proposed cuts, the budding future journalists revealed the lessons they were taking from campus outrage sparked by Stascavage's column.

"If we have learned anything from our conversations with the student body in the past month, it is precisely how charged, complicated, and multidimensional issues of race and representation are on this campus and in this country," the journalism students wrote.

"As it stands, the resolution simply doesn't address the core of these issues. There is no easy solution, but we've started to confront some of The Argus' long-standing obstacles by executing small but meaningful changes.

"Our editorial staff recently participated in SALD-sponsored Social Justice Education training, and we are in the process of developing a new Editor of Equity and Inclusion position, as well as new outreach programs. These initiatives can't transform The Argus right away, but transformation takes time."

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