Spring Break
Gannett-owned college newspapers tell story
Erik Myers
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: News
After media giant Gannett Company, Inc. expressed interest in acquiring the Collegian, many eyes have turned to Florida, where Gannett owns two student newspapers, where students and former employees of the papers have mixed opinions about working under the media conglomerate.
The FSView and Florida Flambeau, the newspaper of Florida State University, along with the Central Florida Future, newspaper of the University of Central Florida, are both student papers owned by Gannett.
The Tallahassee Democrat, a Gannett-owned newspaper, purchased the FSView and Florida Flambeau in late July 2006. The college paper was an independent, privately owned for-profit newspaper at the time, but its purchase marked the first time a major news company would make such an investment in the college market.
Employees of the college newspaper said when Gannett took over, their newspaper saw little change.
Chris Lewis, general manager of the FSView and Florida Flambeau, was employed as sales manager with the paper when the two independent owners of the paper, publisher Robert Parker and General Manager Jennifer Irwin, sold the paper to Gannett.
Lewis, who graduated from FSU in 1997, was promoted to his position last July. He says he has been with the paper for six years -- as a non-student staff member -- and in terms of content, operations and salaries, the paper hasn't changed since its purchase.
"It's still 100 percent student-produced content; there's no prior review done by anyone, only the student staff," Lewis said.
But one former employee said the FSView was lacking in quality both before and after the purchase and was devoid of any educational component before ever being sold to Gannett.
Rob Davis, former photo editor for the FSView and Florida Flambeau, graduated from FSU after the fall 2007 semester and currently works freelance for several Florida newspapers. Davis, who started at the paper in 2005, said Parker, the former publisher, ran the paper as a business, not an educational institution.
The FSView and Florida Flambeau, the newspaper of Florida State University, along with the Central Florida Future, newspaper of the University of Central Florida, are both student papers owned by Gannett.
The Tallahassee Democrat, a Gannett-owned newspaper, purchased the FSView and Florida Flambeau in late July 2006. The college paper was an independent, privately owned for-profit newspaper at the time, but its purchase marked the first time a major news company would make such an investment in the college market.
Employees of the college newspaper said when Gannett took over, their newspaper saw little change.
Chris Lewis, general manager of the FSView and Florida Flambeau, was employed as sales manager with the paper when the two independent owners of the paper, publisher Robert Parker and General Manager Jennifer Irwin, sold the paper to Gannett.
Lewis, who graduated from FSU in 1997, was promoted to his position last July. He says he has been with the paper for six years -- as a non-student staff member -- and in terms of content, operations and salaries, the paper hasn't changed since its purchase.
"It's still 100 percent student-produced content; there's no prior review done by anyone, only the student staff," Lewis said.
But one former employee said the FSView was lacking in quality both before and after the purchase and was devoid of any educational component before ever being sold to Gannett.
Rob Davis, former photo editor for the FSView and Florida Flambeau, graduated from FSU after the fall 2007 semester and currently works freelance for several Florida newspapers. Davis, who started at the paper in 2005, said Parker, the former publisher, ran the paper as a business, not an educational institution.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Craig Hawley
posted 1/29/08 @ 7:29 AM MST
I still think it would be better if the students at CSU took charge of their own destiny and boycotted the Collegian or picketed or any myriad of other ways to get rid of McSwane , then sell the paper. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 1/29/08 @ 4:23 PM MST
Nice try Arnold. First of all we were discussing the sale of the Collegian but I'll bite.
Why is it you Liberals always lie by omission. You act like Saddam never had WMD's so why did we go to war. (Continued…)
Rob Davis
posted 1/30/08 @ 10:54 AM MST
I would like to set the record straight becuase some of what I said was completely taken out of context by Myers.
This is a recent post I made on the sportsshooter. (Continued…)
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