Financial woes trouble Omaha high school papers
The dark cloud of financial woes has cast a shadow
over the future of high school newspapers in Omaha,
according to reports from faculty advisors and
student editors at three Omaha high schools.
A possible shutdown has prompted newspaper
supporters to appear before the Board of Education
(BOE) for District 1 , asking for money to bail them
out and stirring controversy.
The controversy is centered around a high school
journalism teacher, Omaha Benson's Gunnar Horn,
and his Benson Higy News.
Threatened stop
The News is threatened with stopping production
for the first time in over 40 years. The Omaha Burke
Beat will probably miss at least one issue, according
to co-editor Connie Casari, and other papers, with the
exception of the Central High Register, "couldn't pay
their bills if they put out a paper every two weeks,"
according to Horn.
Central charges more than most high schools for
advertising and receives more money from its
activities fund for production. Omaha Westside is in
District 66 and faces fewer problems because that
district provides a larger budget for the paper.
Principal Howard Sorensen of Benson said the
activities- fund, the main source of money for
newspapers, lias been shrinking the past few years due
to decreasing sales of activities cards. The decrease
has been dramatic at Benson, Sorensen said.
Central's journalism advisor, Mike Gaherty,
credited stable sales of the cards at Central for the
optimistic shape of his budget.
Additional funds
Additional funds have been provided this year by
the Board of Education. Each school received SI, 250
to help its journalism program. According to Board
Vice President Jack Barnhart (one of Horn's former
students), this is the first time the Board has ever
provided money for journalism.
Horn said that the money is not enough and was
spent at Benson to erase part of a $2,100 deficit
incurred over the past years. According to Horn, the
deficit was incurred with the assurance from BOE
members, including President Paul Kennedy and
Barnhart, that "the tab would be picked up."
Barnhart denied that such an assurance was made,
although he said he had told Horn that "he would try
to help."
"I was the main promoter on the Board for the
$1,250 and thought that had solved the problem until
it appeared in the newspaper that it wasn't enough,"
Barnhart said. "I don't think that's the way to (notify
the board), you don't write page one stories in the
newspaper about it."
Advertisers reluctant
Advertising has been unable to pick up the slack
because advertisers are reluctant to advertise to a high
school market. National guidelines also suggest that
advertising take up only 15 of the column inches m
high school newspapers, according to Horn and
Gaherty.
Because of the increasing costs, Benson and
Central have averaged nearly 20 advertising in
recent years while Burke averages nearly 40.
Omaha Northwest has recently gone to publishing
a quarterly "magazine" while other area high schools
publish less than fifteen issues a year, according to
Horn.
Horn resists the move to fewer issues. "Even at
two weeks, it's a tough way to stay current and be a
real newspaper," he said.
Big loss
Chris Garrett, managing editor of the News, said
he feels that the death of the News will hurt the
school as a whole.
"Of course everybody on the staff will lose a
valuable educational experience but there wiil also be
a disruption of school spirit and unity on a long term
basis," he said. "The focus (of a high school
newspaper) creates an identity in a school; it enables
students to recognize other students and activities."
Horn said that Omaha high schools are larger than
some of the smaller communities in the state. "In a
large metropolitan area like Omaha, the high school
paper is the only avenue of information in school for
most things, with the possible exception of varsity
sports," he said.
Associate Superintendent of Schools Joe Hanna
said, "We're very proud of our papers; the newspaper
has a real valuable contribution to make. But the
Board has to decide what its overall responsibility and
contribution should be."
Benefit questioned
Barnhart said he supports the papers but is
resisting providing more Board money to bail out the
beleagured papers. Horn said the papers are necessary
to teach journalism, but Barnhart said he questions
their necessity in journalism education.
Barnhart said that each school should pay for its
own paper, pointing to the example that Benson had
over $33,000 in so-called "discretionary funds." He
said the schools' attitude was: "You spend your
money DcCdUM; WC uun i Yvam iu opviiu uais,
Benson Principal Sorensen told the Daily
Nebraskan that he was "amazed at Jack Barnhart. He
apparently doesn't realize that the $33,000 is the
school's total worth. It is divided into many parts and
is made up of funds from Math Club, Art Club,
everything. We have no right to use that money and'
wc don't have a contingency fund."
Continued on pg. 7
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page six
daily nebraskan
monday, january 13, 1975