As the school year comes to a close, we are writing to update on the state of the Indiana Daily Student and give an outlook on student media’s future at Indiana University.
The IDS will finish this school year without a financial deficit, a rarity in recent history. Our expenses began consistently outpacing revenue in fiscal year 2015. After that point, we pulled from cash reserves until fiscal year 2021. Those reserves ran out, and our deficit accumulated.
But this year, that’s no longer the case. This fiscal year, the IDS will end in the black. We will do so with our print editions restored, no expected deficit through summer and, in our view, the most comprehensive plan for IU student media’s future etched into place.
Now, we are calling on Media School and university administrators to take the necessary next steps to reaffirm their commitment to editorial independence, free speech and student opportunity: enacting the Task Force on Editorial Independence and Sustainability’s recommendations.
Right now is the moment for administrators to decide what kind of institution IU will become.
It’s the culmination of a school year of unnecessary struggle.
Last October, we were launched into the national spotlight for our fight against IU’s attempt at censoring our print paper. That came to a head before our planned Oct. 16 paper, set to include our Homecoming edition and regular reporting. After Media School administrators directed us to print no news, we, and our then-student media director Jim Rodenbush, pushed back. IU fired Rodenbush and fully cut our paper, in clear retaliation.
The outrage was swift and widespread. Outlets across the world shared the story. National advocacy and legal groups, faculty and community members condemned it. Alumni pulled heaps of donations away from the university.
This public support clearly overwhelmed IU, leading it to reverse its ban on print and set up the task force.
We’ve since had positive conversations with the IU Bloomington chancellor, interim provost and many others. We were both on, and contributed to, the task force established in the aftermath. We now see a comprehensive and worthy plan for our outlet, IU Student Television and WIUX, within reach.
Back in October, people respected in the media landscape encouraged the IDS to separate fully from the university. As the task force notes, this isn’t fully out of the picture yet. Instead, we chose a measured approach and worked with IU because we saw the need to protect the feedback loop between IU and its student media. Both work better together. The IDS attracts some of the best prospective journalists in the country, who learn from award-winning faculty. They take those skills and put them into publication at our organization. For decades, these components have worked hand in hand. We weren’t ready to abandon that.
The IDS has made good-faith efforts to find a solution with the university. Now, the ball is in its court.
While proceeding with implementing the task force’s plan, university administrators should remember what happened in October. They should recognize the power students and the community that supports us hold. The lessons from this recent history should not be forgotten. It certainly won’t be in our organization.
Another lesson for administrators came from the success we’ve seen after October. We saw fundraising skyrocket, and like many media groups that now rely more on philanthropy, we have been able to use donations to support our operating costs.
As the task force reported, professional media organizations, including the IDS, have seen decreasing advertising revenue in recent years. However, that’s a small part of the picture. Our online audience continues to grow. This school year’s traffic was 70% higher than last year’s, helping us fight lower ad revenue. We reached nearly 6 million page views on our site this school year. However, industry-wide financial challenges aren’t lost on us, and we are consistently finding innovative ways to adapt.
Selling posters of our newspaper after Indiana football won the national championship — only possible due to administrators clearing bureaucratic red tape — brought the IDS more than $200,000 in revenue. Obviously, we can’t depend on that for sustained cash flow, but the IDS will be selling more and more poster prints in the future — another revenue source.
The strengthening of the IDS after October’s crisis allowed us to continue doing what we do best: journalism. Our staff of reporters, editors, photographers, designers and social media producers has continued to create some of the best student journalism in the state and country.
For the first time in years, we’re at the precipice of a beneficial cycle. When student media is supported, students get opportunities to learn and excel in their craft, which then generates more money. The way forward is clear: innovation from us and investment from IU, not cuts.
Journalism is changing. The Media School students graduating Saturday will be at the cutting edge of these shifts. With investment and care from our university, IU students could be the first to lead a struggling industry into a sustainable future.
The task force’s recommendations outline the best way to commit to this future. There must be no half-measures in their implementation. Otherwise, we’ll see carelessness ratchet into another crisis for IU.
