The Student Media Board voted unanimously March 17 to accept The Eagle as an official member.
“The [AU Student] Media Board is responsible for allocating Student Activity Fee funds to the organizations, electing their leadership and mediating grievances between or against any of the media organizations,” according to its website. “The Media Board also seeks to provide a forum for networking and collaboration between the media organizations and serve as an advocate for the promotion and growth of student media at American University.”
The Eagle declined an offer to join the Media Board last year, according to General Manager of ATV and member of the Student Media Board, Douglas Bell.
The Eagle decided not to join the board at the time in an effort to stay as editorially and financially independent as possible, said former Eagle Editor-in-Chief Lindsey Anderson.
However, Anderson believes The Eagle is in a much different position than it was a year ago and agrees with the recent decision to join the board.
“Like most members of the Media Board, I have long thought that The Eagle should have been an active member organization of the board,” Bell said.
As a member of the board, The Eagle’s recent financial difficulties will be aided by student activity fee funding from the board as dictated in The Eagle’s modified constitution.
However, this change does not benefit everyone. Despite the increase in members, there has not been an increase in funding from Student Activities, Bell said.
“By adding The Eagle, every other media organization will have to swallow a cut in the amount of funding they will be able to receive from the Media Board next year,” he said.
Insufficient funding likely means The Eagle will still be required to transition out of a weekly print to an online-based publication, Bell said. However, both Bell and Eagle Editor-in-Chief Zach Cohen are confident the transition will be a positive step for both The Eagle and other Student Media Board members.
“I’m looking forward to collaborating with other student media organizations and continuing to bring quality journalism to AU,” Cohen said.
sgaber@theeagleonline.com
