College newspaper editors earn pay – except at Bonaventure

             College newspapers at Syracuse University, Canisius College and State University of New York at Geneseo all have paid positions but St. Bonaventure University does not.

            The Bona Venture, Bonaventure’s student-run newspaper, would never have paid positions, said Ryan Lazo, a news editor.

            “We barely have enough funds to print the newspaper,” said Lazo, a Bonaventure sophomore.

            The newspaper usually receives about $20,000 each year from the student government, said Lazo, a journalism and mass communication major.

            Approximately $10,000 goes to printing costs, said Amanda Klein, The Bona Venture’s editor-in-chief.

            Financially dependent on the university, the newspaper has limited funds, said Klein, a Bonaventure junior.

            The Lamron, Geneseo’s student-run newspaper, receives yearly funds from its student government too, said Jesse Goldberg, the newspaper’s managing editor.

            The newspaper, expected to bring in $19,000 in advertising revenue each year, pays its editor-in-chief, managing editor, design editor, photo editor and section editors, said Goldberg, a Geneseo junior.

            Goldberg, an English and philosophy major, did not give the amounts of the paid positions.

            The Griffin, Canisius’ student-run newspaper, receives its funds through the college too, said Kate Songin, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief.

            The newspaper usually receives $40,000 each year, allowing some staff members to earn payment, said Songin, a Canisius senior.

            The editor-in-chief earns $50 per week. Section editors, page design editors, the webmaster and video editor earn $30 per week. Photographers earn $20 per week, and copy readers earn $10 per week, said Songin.

            The Griffin does not bring in enough money to become financially independent from the college, said Songin, a communication studies and political science major.

            “We are only a weekly paper, so it would be impossible for us to raise enough in advertising revenue to support ourselves completely,” said Songin.

            The Daily Orange, Syracuse’s student-run newspaper, has been financially independent from the university for 20 years, said Katie McInerney, its editor-in-chief.

            The newspaper, published Mondays through Thursdays and sometimes on Fridays for sports editions, receives its funds through advertising revenue, said McInerney, a Syracuse junior.

            The amount of pay for the 30 paid positions depends on their positions and number of semesters they have been at the newspaper, said McInerney, a journalism major.

            The editor-in-chief earns $25 per night and a dollar raise for every semester he/she has been at the newspaper. Head editors earn $18 per night plus the one-dollar-per-semester raise. Assistant editors earn $15 per night, said McInerney.

            In 1991 at their annual budget meeting, The Daily Orange editors rejected the money from the university, surviving without it, said McInerney.

            Prior to 1991, the newspaper, financially dependent on the university, had issues when covering stories about the student government . Since becoming financially independent, the newspaper’s staff does not have to worry about censorship, said McInerney.

            “We don't have a faculty adviser. Every decision – editorially or financially – is ultimately made by me, and me only,” said McInerney.

            Staff at The Griffin, financially dependent on Canisius, avoids controversial topics for fear of losing funding and support from their administration, said Songin.

            Lazo agreed. Bonaventure could censor The Bona Venture because they technically pay for it, he said.

            “In some cases, we are almost publishing its PR [Bonaventure’s public relations] message,” said Lazo.

            Bonaventure junior Kait Laubscher, The Bona Venture’s managing editor, disagreed.

            Although funded by the university, it does not exercise any control over the newspaper’s operations or content, said Laubscher, a journalism and mass communication major.

            “Bonaventure is technically allowed to have a say in what we print, but we are very fortunate that the administration trusts us to print what we believe is fair and right,” said Laubscher, next year’s editor-in-chief.

            John Hanchette, a Bonaventure professor of journalism and mass communication, said incentives should be implemented for The Bona Venture, increasing student involvement in it.

            “I feel like incentives would make the people in the positions just working for the money instead of for the experience,” said Klein, a journalism and mass communication major.

            McInerney disagreed. “People don't work for the money – it's just a nice reward you get every two weeks,” she said.

            All editorial positions should be paid at The Bona Venture but with differences depending on the positions. Editors-in-chief and managing editors should be able to earn between $20 and $10 per week, said Lazo.

            “Some compensation is better than none,” said Klein.