OtherPress. Room 1020 — 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2 TELEPHONE: 604.525.3542 WEBSITE: theotherpress.ca EMAIL: editor@theotherpress.ca STAFF LIST Natalie Serafini Editor-in-Chief Meditor@theotherpress.ca Eric Wilkins Assistant Editor Massistant@theotherpress.ca Angela Ho Business Manager Chris Paik Distribution Manager Cody Klyne Layout Manager Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager Ed Appleby iHustrator Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator Angela Espinoza News Editor Minews@theotherpress.ca Cheryl Minns Arts Editor Marts@theotherpress.ca Sophie Isbister Life & Style Editor Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Elliot Chan Opinions Editor Mopinions@theotherpress.ca NOW HIRING Sports Editor Msports@theotherpress.ca Sharon Miki Humour Editor Mhumour@theotherpress.ca Brittney MacDonald Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writers Senior Columnists Joshua Grant Steven Cayer Jerrison Oracion Andrea Arscott Margaret Matthews Columnists Patrick Vaillancourt Andrea Arscott Contributors Julie Wright Mercedes Deutscher lloradanon Efimoff Michael Sopow This Lettitor brought to you by... he Other Press and other student newspapers are ina very particular position: industry newspapers are feeling : the clout of newsprint’s gradual decline, and pandering to advertisers is often necessary to on the other hand, are in the comfortable position of subsist- ing largely offa student levy. While the Other Press gets the occasional advertisement, our most regular advertiser is the Douglas Students’ Union, and our business relationship with the union is so long-standing that the last few years have seen more verbal contracts than formalized ones. So, we avoid pandering to advertisers because we can afford to pay our staffirrespec- tive ofad money—and we print our papers with gloss to boot. There are occasions though where I’m put in the uncomfortable position of navigating the newspaper's integrity. It’s not uncommon for organizations to contact myself or one of our section editors with an idea for a story; that’s generally a perfectly fine, symbiotic relationship wherein were always hunting for stories to cover, and they benefit from our coverage. The issue of integrity arises when they contact me asking for both an © Getloknowus! © The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. Weare a registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus. © The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member ofthe Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes : article and an advertisement. struggled with this : when I first encountered the request, and I’msure] will : continue to struggle with it. : Essentially though, my policy : is generally to offer either an stay afloat. Student newspapers, : : but not both. Here’s why: advertisement or an article, When money exchanges : hands, there’s a potential for : conflict of interest: because : we're receiving money, ifwe run : anarticle ona product/service/ : event, our coverage could be : perceived as dependent on that : exchange of funds. The lines : become blurred between the : sponsored and unsponsored : portions, where ideally a news- : paper should function inde- : pendent of outside influence. While I stand by our : staffin their ability to report : without bias, it’s something : we strive to be conscious of. : In the past, we've held off on : publishing articles from staff : writing about organizations : they're a part of; we also try to : be wary when accepting ads for : events where the organizers : are also requesting coverage. Because I accept a per- : centage of the profits for : advertisements that I arrange, I : don’t feel comfortable with then : : guaranteeing that a section : editor will runa piece onan : event, product, or service. I : wouldn't guarantee coverage : and override a section editor's : agency like that anyway, : but it would be considerably : worse ifI were to do so while : accepting a cut of the profits. My general policy of course : can't be the be-all-and-end-all. : Already, in my germinating : term as EIC, I’ve made allow- : ances based on context: while : won't guarantee additional : coverage for an advertiser, I also : won't deny a section editor’s : covering of an event because : of one. It’s a balancing act : where I try to do what’s best for : the paper while not dictating : coverage either way based on : who's paying. Ideally, adver- : tisements and articles would : exist in their separate boxes : onthe paper’s layout, ne’er the : t'wain shall meet. This is reality : though, and sometimes the : distinctions don’t remain as : perfectly defined as I would like. The reason this is such : sensitive territory is because of : the rise in native advertising. : Essentially, native advertising : iswhenan ad has been cam- : ouflaged into an article so that : you can’t tell the difference. : It’s those articles that feature a : tiny “post sponsored by [insert company/group]”—supposedly : the disclaimer to alert readers : that they’re being duped. Last Week Tonight with : John Oliver did a report on : native advertising a while back, : and it was astounding to see : that Goliaths of the publishing : world like the New York Times : were printing native advertis- : ing. Even when the article is : important, or well-done and : well-researched, at the end of : the day it’s still sponsored to : conclude with a specific point; : clearly that’s dangerous when : you purport to report on facts. The Other Press and other : student newspapers are ina : very particular position: we're : developing some of the next : generation of reporters. I don’t : pretend that I’ll have a profound : and long-lasting impact on : our writers, and acknowledge : that the Other Press’ influence : is largely restricted to the : Douglas students who are : aware of our existence. Still, : my hope is that fostering a : conscientious attitude when : it comes to advertising will : do something. I’m probably : idealistic—the reality is, as John : Oliver stated, “a press cannot be : free and independent if nobody : is willing to pay for it”—but : it’s the little bit that I can do. Hello gorgeous, Nall Serafini Editor-in-Chief coc Ug 9) CEM] @ facebook.com/DouglasOtherPress papers from all across Canada. 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