Money money…moooney…
March 9, 2009I feel like there’s been a huge discrepancy in the information offered (even though a public information records request would reveal all the statistics needed, as I’m sure many Aggies already know) about the funding of The Battalion and vocal student opinion. I also feel it is my duty as EIC to enlighten the masses, or at least make this information more readily available and easier to understand, because frankly, I’m tired of being called crooked and being under fire for “catering to the right people.”
Basically, when The Anthem published that article last week about Murano and we had a little battle royale of the papers, I got even more hate mail than usual criticizing us for pandering to the hand that feeds us.
Well, I have something to say to all those who believe we’re nothing more than a conservative extension of the administration cleverly integrated into the student body: not only are we an INDEPENDENT student publication, but we are predominately self-funded as well. Our advertising department, which has faculty advisers but is also run by students, brings in 98 percent of the money used to support The Battalion.
This is how it works. The Student Media Board meets each semester and at the beginning of the school year, discusses the annual budget for Student Media (which includes The Battalion and Aggieland, Texas A&M’s yearbook). For the Fiscal Year 2008-2009, the budget totaled $1.4 million, about $1 million of which is appropriated specifically for The Battalion.
You’re probably wondering, where does the other two percent come from? Well, friends, that significant $22,000 comes from student fees, without which Student Media would just absolutely flounder around and eventually go under, of course. Not that $22,000 isn’t a lot of money—but let’s do a little basic math, shall we? $22,000 divided by upwards of 45,000 students enrolled at Texas A&M who all pay the required student fees ends up being around 50 cents per student. I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how that’s breaking anyone’s bank.
And not that The Battalion’s allegiance can be bought, but I like to think we’d have more dignity than to sell ourselves for 50 cents.
