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Just Sif Back
, Much has been said and recommendations have been
made concerning the Daily Nebraskan's need for additional
funds, but most of it has come in bits and pieces. In an .
attempt to give a complete picture, the Daily Nebraskan
staff has presented each facet in this, its position paper.
Although this is an issue to be settled primarily be
tween the Subcommittee on Student Publications and
the Board of Regents, the staff and the rest of the students
are directly concerned.
You are concerned because it is you to whom the Daily
Nebraskan is directed, it is you who read the paper.
In order to provide a better paper for you, the Daily
Nebraskan must be able to meet the rising costs of its
publication. The campus is expanding and so must the
Daily Nebraskan.
Under its present set-up problems of a minimum staff,
under-paid staff, little money for office expenses and
increased advertising combine to make a less effective
paper for you to read.
A cut back in circulation or in number of days printed
would add to the ineffectiveness of the paper.
You are also concerned because it is through you
that the other alternative, the increase in student fees
paid to the Daily Nebraskan, may be realized. A glance
at the explanatory articles in the columns of the Daily
Nebraskan shows that this is the only realistic answer.
Unless the Board of Regents realizes that you, too,
are concerned with the outcome of the communications
media of this campus, they will hesitate to grant this in
crease. Polls have been taken, letters written, and a petition
is now being circulated. Each of these adds weight to the
argument of the Daily Nebraskan. But they will be ef
fective only if each and every reader joins in the cam
paign. Other writers on this page have gone into the reasons
for the necessity of the increase from the business stand
point, the moral question, the image of the campus, the
effectiveness of the Daily Nebraskan.
If you are satisfied with the present situation, just
. sit back on your haunches and don't do anything.
SUSAN SMITHBERGER
Inside
In beginning my investi
gation into the financial sit
uation of the Daily Nebras
kan and possible alterna
tives to be used in arriving
at a solution to the contin
uous loss, I had no personal
opinion as to which alterna
tive to be presented here
in would best answer t h e
needs of the Daily Nebras
kan. After studying it, I n o w
feel that an increase in the
STUDENT SUBSCRIP
TION FEE paid by under
graduate students as part
of their tuition would give
the Daily Nebraskan the
needed funds to operate on
a level comparable to the
other student newspapers in
the Big Eight.
I arrived at this opinion
by considering the following
alternatives:
(1) No change in opera
tion or source of income.
This alternative, as a poli
cy to be followed, would
create a downward effect for
the Daily Nebraskan. Why?
Because presently the paper
is operating with a mini
mum staff, advertising and
other sources of income (ex
cluding STUDENT SUB
SCRIPTION FEES) are be
ing pushed to a maximum
limit and the paper will still
incur a loss of 2000 to 3000
dollars. Result: no solution
to the financial situation of
the Daily Nebraskan by em
ploying the alternative (1).
Alternative (2). A cut
back in number of days
printed. This alternative
would call for the reduction
of, as an example, printing
only on Monday, Thursday
and Friday. What would this
mean to the Daily Nebras
kan's financial situation? It
would mean a savings of
250 dollars each week in
printing and engravings cost
and the lessening of the total
printing and engraving costs
for the year by 6,000 dol
lars. If this is the c a s e.
does this then eliminate the
financial loss incurred as
a result of the savings in
printing and engraving
costs? Answer: No. It does
not because advertising
revenue from a single issue
is on an average 240 dol
lars; consequently on a
The Daily
RICH HA LBERT, manairlni edltori FRANK PARTSCH. news editor;
S.'F..KUTTEH' V1CKI ELLIOTT. LEE MARSHALL, copy editors. PKISCILLA
""LLINS, MARILYN HOEGEMEYER, senior stuff writers WALLIS LUNDEEN,
JIM KORSHOJ, PENNY OLSON, junior stall writersi RICH EISER, photog
rapher! PEGGY SPEECH, snorts editor! BOB SAMUELSON, sporta assistant:
PP5I''Pi,?VT' BV?Z MADSON, SCOTT RYNEARSON, business asalstantal
MNN RATHJKN, Circulation mananer; JIM DICK, aubacrlptlon manager.
Subscription rates $3 per semester or 15 per year.
Entered si second clasa matter at the poet offlca In Lincoln Nebraska,
Under the net of August 4, 1D12.
The Dally Nebraskan is published at Room 51, Nebraska Union, on
Monday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday by University of Nebraska students
under Ole Jurisdiction of the Faculty Subcommittee on Student Publications.
Publications shall be Ire- Horn ten.. u -Imp h- ihe MiDcommitiee or any person
outside the University. Members of Ihe Nebraskan ara responsible for what
they cause to Im printed. II l printed Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday, during the school year with the exception of vacation and examina
tion periods.
Monday, December 7, 1964
View
single issue the Daily Ne
braskan is saving ten dol
lars or over the whole year
a savings of 800 dollars is
accumulated. This saving of
800 dollars does not suf
ficiently decrease the loss to
warrant its use.
Alternative (3). A cut-back
in number of papers printed
each day of publication. In
analyzing this alternative
and its implications, I dis
covered, as every business
student should know, that a
cut-back in . number of
papers printed per issue will
have little savings because
the major cost of printing
and engraving is found in the
first issue printed. Why? Be
cause of the amount of work
in setting of type, engraving
of pictures and other neces
sary procedures in publish
ing a paper.
Actual savings are so
small that the loss of the
Daily Nebraskan is depreci
ated only by a small amount.
Further, use of this alterna
tive limits circulation of the
paper to an even smaller
percentage of the University
undergraduate enrollment,
which hardly seems fair
when you consider that
every undergraduate pays
for a Daily Nebraskan.
Alternative (4). An in
crease in STUDENT SUB
SCRIPTION FEES. This al
ternative, the one I feel is
best, solves the problem of
finances and is justified by
(a.) the number of years
that have passed with no
action taken by the Board
of Regents in updating the
STUDENT SUBSCRIPTION
FEES allotment in relation
to rising printing and en
graving costs, (b.) the fact
that all undergraduates now
pay for a- paper but only
6,000 receive papers, (c.)
the attitude that if the Daily
Nebraskan is to be a
paper in keeping with the
times then the appropriate
changes need to accomplish
this must be instituted.
From the inside looking
out I can only see the STU
DENT SUBSCRIPTION FEE
increase as a means of solv
ing the Daily Nebraskan's
financial situation.
MIKE JEFFREY
Business Manager
Nebraskan
i i fl1 1 TTr Dy
From the Pub Board:
By CUZ GUENZEL
Pub Board Member
More than any other
group on campus, Pub
Board was in a position to
foresee the Daily Nebras
kan's problem. For years
members on the board had
to use the profit made on
the Cornhusker to cover the
expenses of the paper.
As the expenses of the
Daily Nebraskan grew, it
also grew quite obvious that
the yearbook could not con
tinue supporting both itself
and the paper indefinitely.
So even before the Daily
Nebraskan got into any fi
nancial trouble, Pub Board
members realized the ap
proaching difficulty. We
tried to avoid a serious prob
lem and give back the Corn
husker's profit to the Corn
husker. Board members felt that
it wasn't fair to take away
all the profit from the Corn
husker. With their profit,
the yearbook .staff could
have had more color pic
tures or could have initi
ated more new ideas such as
the record of sounds last
year.
For several years Pub
Board simply sent letters
and financial reports to ap
propriate University offi
cials. To give added empha
sis to the problem, Pub
Board asked Dr. William
Hall, director of the school
of journalism, to write, too.
Dr. Hall sent in his warn
ing and recommendations.
Our reports were acknowl
edged but no action was
taken. Finally, last year in
the early part of second se
mester the financial stand
ing of the paper had become
so poor that the Cornhusker
would just barely be able
to cover the deficit.
At the same time, staff
members of the Cornhusker
dreamed up the idea of the
record of sounds. They pre-
Tuition Increase Best
sented the idea and figures
on the record to Pub Board.
When the staff asked per
mission to make the record,
Pub Board had to take a
stand. We could have turned
down the request of t h c
Cornhusker and struggled to
hoard the yearbook profit
for the Daily Nebraskan.
But, instead, we passed
their request, which meant
that the Cornhusker profit
would no longer be saved
for subsidizing the paper.
Pub Board's action was
virtually an ultimatum to
University officials. Either
they would have to take
some action or the Daily
Nebraskan would have to
shut down in bankruptcy.
The administration final
ly did take action. They In
vited a three-man study
team composed of profes
sional journalists to visit
this campus May 21-22 last
year.
Members of the s t u'd y
team consulted members of
the administration, Pub
!"$&F-
By Mike
The crest iee of a Univer
sity is necessarily depend
ent upon the worthiness of
its publications. Nebraska
has had worthy publications
in the past, and subsequent
ly enjoyed some prestige.
We are, at this moment, in
danger of losing that pres
tige. To the delight of Lincoln
advertisers and to the dis
may of its readers, t h e
Daily Nebraskan resembles
a Sears Catalogue. And it
may not be too long before
the Nebraskan inherits the
same usage as the cata
logue. Northern tissue stock
Board, staff and student
leaders. But ti'.oir conclu
sion was to initiate a better
advertising program.
That has been done this
year. The advertising pro
gram has been excellent.
And if we could have as
avid an advertising man
ager and years of heavy ad
vertising, we might be able
to put the paper back in
the black.
Cutting down on the num
ber printed is as uneconom
ical as it is undesirable.
And reduction in the days
printed is a poor solution
as it would detract from
the value of the Daily Ne
braskan both to readers and
as a learning experience for
the students that put it out.
An increase in the sub
scription rate paid out of
each student's tuition ap
pears to be the best method
of putting the Daily Nebras
kan back in the black with
out having to resort to out
right subsidy from the Uni
versity. Barton
would drop appreciably.
As I see it, the only so
lution to this regrettable
state of affairs is a tuition
increase. Very rarely do I
side with the majority, but
in this case, the answer is
only too obvious and any
other solution would be only
temporary. An expansion of
the Nebraskan would neces
sarily enhance our pres
tige, and I am willing to
pay for it.
So unless you want to re
ceive a student paper with
perforations, back us up.
Northern Tissue concurs
with our findings.
I have been asked sever
al times already this year
why the Daily Nebraskan
wants more money to re
duce advertising space.
These erstwhile critics of
our news columns find it
difficult to understand why
advertising should be de
creased at the expense of
the students.
They also wonder if re
duced advertising would
give the students more
stories about the western
Nebraska corn rootworm's
disgusting little habit of
pulling sneak plays on Ne
braska farmers.
The facts and figures con
cerning the annual deficit
of the Nebraskan appear
elsewhere in this issue.
They speak for themselves.
A story of the Nebraskan as
seen by the people who
write, edit and print it four
days a week also appears
elsewhere in this issue.
They speak for themselves.
The Nebraskan is prob
ably the most universal stu
dent institution with the pos
sible exception of the class
room and the woodsie. It
reaches students in an un
imaginable spectrum of vo:
cational, social and apathet
ical diversity. For this rea
son, many of its readers
from one group often find
it difficult to understand
why news directed toward
another group' should be
run.
We try to keep the news
in proper proportion.
As enrollment (and there
by diversity) spirals and
skyrockets upward and as
requirements and expecta
tions in the classroom tight
en, we find it difficult to
find staff members with
time, ability and devotion
to make the paper what we
would like it to be.
Our present staff has, al
most to a man, the ability,
Octopus
Questionnaire ,
In our culture, the printed
word is god. On our cam
pus, the Daily Nebraskan
is the student's voice. Or
rather it should be. But it
isn't. Why?
1. What is the job of a
newspaper?
A newspaper presents the
facts to those who want
them.
2. Is the Daily Nebraskan
a newspaper?
No.
3. Why?
(a) Its "facts" are too
often the guesses (or mis
understandings) of a hur
ried (overworked) staff
writer, (b) there are about
13,000 students and only 6,
000 papers.
4. Why has the newspaper
(it you answered "no" to 2)
come to this sad end? Ex
plain. (a) The sometimes ques
tionable quality of the stu
dent writing can be traced
to a lack of money. The
Daily Nebraskan staff is
paid a token (very small)
amount each month. This is
not a salary, but rather is
conscience money, i.e. so
they will feel a responsibil-
A Moral
By George Duranske
Several week ago S t u -dent
Council conducted a
poll the results of which at
best were inconclusive.
Since the poll, however,
many people have picked
up the suggestion that t h e
number of copies printed be
cut back from their present
level of 6000 copies per day.
The point suggested is some
mythical one at which t h e
claim rests that the Daily
Nebraskan would be able to
operate at a profit or at least
break even.
Unfortunately this com
ment or suggestion often
comes from the persons who
will be guaranteed a paper
regardless of the number of
issues printed. These people
are those who are living in
organized living units and
very likely do not recognize
the problems of many fac
tions of the University in
terms of obtaining even an
occasional copy of the Daily
Nebraskan.
Perhaps ,it may sound a
bit irite to raise amoral
question but the persons
most interested in waging a
war on apathy are often the
persons who suggest a furth
er slackening of the possibili
Closet
Case
By Frank Paiisch
and, unfortunately for them,
their devotion exceeds their
time, and they often find
themselves forsaking hour
exams, outside reading and
social life. For $17.50 a
month.
Few, however, can deny
the tremendous possibilities
for news on this campus.
Many areas ' are complete
ly overlooked because of
the time involved.
We would be hard pressed
currently to drop advertis
ing, but with the necessary
increase in funds to staff
this paper, we could give the
University a much better
paper five days per week.
I would like to see a fea
ture editor and writer as a
separate subdivision of the
news staff; some means of
relieving the frequency and
tedium of night news duties,
additional writers and copy
editors, better coverage
from the Colleges of Agri
culture and Medicine and a
number of other goodies too
good, numerous and compli
cated to go into a column
of this type.
A look at today's Peg
Board on page four will
show some of the problems
and needs of the sports
staff, and an assistant editor
in the editorial department
would assure us of a more
smoothly running operation.
Well, everybody needs
money.
In these perilous days of
decentralization through ex
pansion, many of the older
organizations and institu
tions must modernize and
streamline themselves to re
tain their effectiveness.
Student Council, in its
ecumenical council, has
decided that a new constitu
tion will do the trick.
The Daily Nebraskan,
however, needs money.
. By John Lonnquist
ity toward what they are do
ing, (b) The stingy num
ber of copies is also due to
a lack of money.
The lowest rung staff
members are overworked
and under (22chr.) paid.
When interested students
learn these cold facts, they
develop cold feet. This lim
its fa) the number who
apply for staff positions,
and (b) the quality of the
staff.
The poor quality staff
produces poor quality work.
Everyone complains. Few
er people apply. Those who
do are more overworked
and more underpaid. The
vicious circle becomes more
vicious. This nonsense can
only be stopped by mone
The staff should be "in
creased to handle the in
creased news of an in
creased enrollment. Their
"salaries" should be made
comparable to those of
other "jobs" in the area,
for it is a "job" which they
are performing. The com
petition for the positions
and the firing of incompe
tent writers would insure
accuracy and quality. The
Daily Nebraskan would be
a REAL newspaper.
Question
ty of adequate distribution
of campus news. In the
opinion of this neophyte the
only means to guarantee a
campus truly aware of
its own problems and not
merely a fragmatized stu
dent, body who claims to be
aloof from the campus cur
rents is to increase the cir
culation of the Daily Nebras
kan. From the standpoint of
the groups not now receiv
ing papers they would no
longer find themselves in
this category. From the
standpoint of the persons re
ceiving copies of the paper
at least they would have
the satisfaction of knowing
that all persons were receiv
ing the same rights and
opportunities to know of
trends and arguments as
they develop on campus.
The financial impossibili
' ty of reducing the number
of copies speaks for itself
and -provides a point for
unification alone but the
added thought that the op
portunities of all students
should be equal gives fur
ther justification for stu.
dents to unite and to accept
the added fee as not only
needed but also as the only
fair alternative.