The Virginia Informer
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| Type | Bi-weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner | W&M students |
| Editor | Steven Nelson |
| Staff writers | 70[citation needed] |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Circulation | 3,000 |
| Website | http://www.VAInformer.com |
The Virginia Informer is a bi-weekly, student-run publication at The College of William and Mary. The newspaper contains four sections: News, Features, Arts & Culture, and Opinion. The organization also maintains The Virginia Informer Online, a website that is updated daily, as well as The Virginia Informer Newswire. The Informer is officially non-partisan but known to challenge the campus establishment and have conservative and libertarian editorials.[1] Unlike the two other primary campus publications, The DoG Street Journal and The Flat Hat, the Informer receives no funding from the college administration or student activity fee for any of its operations but rather from grants, subscriptions, advertising and other donations.[2] It is a member of the conservative non-profit group Collegiate Network[3][4] and the mainstream Associated Collegiate Press.[5]
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[edit] Mission statement
"The Virginia Informer is an independent, non-partisan, student run publication devoted to reporting the news to the William and Mary community. We exist to provide an alternative to school sponsored news sources. We do not, and never will, receive any financial support from the College of William and Mary. We will not shy away from controversy or be afraid to challenge the norm. We strive to inform and engage our readers via responsible journalism and in-depth reporting, while fostering and giving voice to opinions that are often shut out by the campus establishment."[6]
[edit] Issues and positions
[edit] Board of Visitors party
In early 2006, the Informer printed the name of a female student who accused a fellow student of rape at a sorority party held at the house of a member of the Board of Visitors. The Informer also called on that member, John Gerdelman, to resign.[7] This was also in response to an e-mail sent to students by Vice President for Student Affairs Sam Sadler about the incident that included the name of the accused. The Informer did not print the name of the female student, a matter of public record, until the case had been settled out of court.
[edit] NCAA and the feathers
In 2006, the NCAA informed the College that it would need to remove the feathers from its athletic logo saying that they were hostile and abusive towards Native Americans. Even though then-President Gene Nichol expressed his disagreement with the decision, he did not challenge the decision, fearing that the court costs would take too much from the college fund. He refused donations from alumni wishing to fund the legal expenses of such a fight. Since then, the Informer has distributed 30,000 feathers at Homecoming football games in protest.[8]
[edit] Wren Cross
The Virginia Informer had been outspoken against former President Nichol's decision to remove a historic cross from the Wren Chapel as well as his management of College finances. The Informer sponsored a debate[9] on the subject between religion professor David Holmes and author Dinesh D'Souza.[10] Nichol was offered to participate in the debate but declined.[11]
[edit] Campus Free Speech
The Informer advocates for expanding free speech rights at William & Mary. In early 2008, the publication worked with free speech advocate and W&M student Braum Katz as well as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to have the college administration turn the school into a FIRE "Green Light" university. Such a designation would bring William & Mary's speech code in line with FIRE's interpretation of the US Constitution and, according to Katz, make the college one of the most free speech friendly universities in the United States.[12]
[edit] See also
- List of publications at The College of William & Mary
- List of student newspapers in the United States of America
[edit] References
- ^ The Flat Hat online: Sep 27 2007; Maxim Lott.
- ^ New investigative publication debuts; The Flat Hat, August 2005, Austin Wright.
- ^ List of Collegiate Network supported papers. Accessed October 17, 2008.
- ^ Collegiate Network Members. Accessed October 17, 2008.
- ^ List of member papers of the ACP. Accessed December 06, 2008
- ^ The Virginia Informer 23 Apr.-present: 2.
- ^ W&M paper calls for board member to quit Timesdispatch.com, Feb 16, 2006, Andrew Petkofsky.
- ^ The Virginia Informer to Hand Out 30,000 Feathers at William and Mary Homecoming Campus Magazine Online, Oct 26, 2007.
- ^ Religion and the Campus: Should the Wren Cross be Reinstated in Wren Chapel?, ISI Cicero's Podium - February 1, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2008.
- ^ Conservative author, religion professor debate cross removal, Dallas Morning News, Feb 1 2007.
- ^ Will he show? John J. Miller, Phi Beta Cons, Jan 06 2007.
- ^ Former FIRE Intern Works to Reform Repressive Policies at College of William and Mary, FIRE's The Torch. Accessed April 25, 2008.
