The provost office reportedly preferred an immediate reduction in the print edition despite The Media School dean’s pitch for a longer timeline, according to emails the IDS obtained in a public records request.
The IDS made the requests in September and October to better understand the conversations surrounding the student media plan, and has decided to release highlights of its findings to the public to ensure transparency.
In an email Sept. 24, Dean David Tolchinsky wrote that “something has to happen this year re print (a move to special editions)” citing his conversation with “folks in the provost’s office.” His email was prompted by a separate email from Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush, who expressed concern over how an abrupt ceasing of print would cause damage to advertiser relationships.
Tolchinsky wrote that he tried to pitch a longer timeline to no avail and advised they stay on course.
“(My worry is if we don’t offer up print as a cost savings, we might be asked to find savings elsewhere. We’re prioritizing staff.)” Tolchinsky wrote.
Projected cost savings from cutting print are expected to be a little over $20,000 during the spring semester, a figure that relies on the IDS’ ability to increase revenue from special editions to cover lost revenues from weekly editions.
In an email to the IDS on Wednesday, Tolchinsky characterized the decision to cut print immediately as a “consensus” among multiple people at the school and campus level “to start realizing savings sooner rather than later to reduce the deficit.”
Though the emails reveal more about the decision to reduce the IDS’ print edition, efforts to reverse the decision have so far been unsuccessful. We have offered alternative ways to save money, potential initiatives that, if successful, could bring the IDS to a profitable position next semester and asked for a way to draw direct donations for print from the community. All offers have either been ignored, delayed or rejected.
Barring a last-minute change of course, the IDS will be forced to only print seven editions next semester. We are grateful to still have print as a platform, but in an environment where our revenue-generation initiatives are slowed through layers of bureaucracy and secrecy, subject to final approval from university administration, we fear the future only holds further reductions in our print edition or other cost-cutting measures.
The Media School’s most recent budget conference over the summer indicated the school was open to cutting further.
“While we continue to explore the potential for generating advertising revenue, including new opportunities via a converged student media model, we will prioritize a transitional implementation of cost-saving measures. This could include a potential further reduction in the print schedule of the Indiana Daily Student in the current fiscal year with additional adjustments made in the years ahead,” the document read.
As we navigate these changes and work toward increasing revenue and enhancing the quality of our coverage, our very dedicated staff will continue to report freely and fairly. We appreciate The Media School’s quiet advocacy for the IDS but hope future decisions of such magnitude are done with more transparency and close collaboration with stakeholders.
