The Daily Trojan announced last month that the University of Southern California (USC) was abruptly cutting its budget, forcing the student newspaper to end daily print and staff pay. To call this decision disappointing is an understatement.
Now more than ever, student journalism needs unanimous support from its respective educational institutions. From high school magazines to daily print newspapers like the Daily Trojan, the work student journalists do today is essential to both school life and the communities they serve.
Here at New University, none of our staff writers and interns get paid for the work they do. Members of the editorial staff may receive a small stipend at the end of the year, but we function frugally with a budget that is fully self-funded. While we are fortunate to have a supportive and transparent student media, we still work under many financial constraints.
Seeing a newspaper like the Daily Trojan face such unjust limitations from its school is an unfortunate reality The New University knows far too well. While readers and supporters of the Daily Trojan are confident their hard work to publish articles will continue, it’s heartbreaking to know USC does not recognize this work enough to fully support them financially.
Student journalism is the voice of the youth. Not only do we constantly strive to provide honest, ethical and empathetic journalism, but we work tirelessly to share the unique voices of our generation and communities. This kind of work deserves support, transparency and recognition from the educational institutions we serve.
You can support the Daily Trojan by donating on its website. Donations to New University can also be made here.
Editor’s note: Editorials should not be interpreted to reflect the opinion, thoughts or beliefs of any individual New University editor, staff member or affiliate.