The Hoya, Georgetown University’s student newspaper, operates like a business. Students hold leadership positions including editor-in-chief, general manager, chair of the board, executive manager and others, but the paper still remains dependent on the University for financial support.
Editor-in-Chief Mallika Sen said she has never been asked to submit any of her content for prior review, but the University bans the paper from publishing ads related to abortion because of the school’s Catholic affiliation. The school also prohibits other student media outlets, like the radio station, from discussing abortion.
The Hoya first attempted to become independent from the school in 2004, according to its website, but struggled to earn enough approval among students, alumni and faculty. Four years later, The Hoya nearly achieved its sought-after goal but lost its chance at independence after publishing an April Fool’s edition with allegedly derogatory references to race. The Board of Directors for The Hoya, which includes four current students, released a decision in 2010 to keep the paper dependent on the school for financial reasons, citing the concerns over the national economy and the papers stability. This decision still stands today.
Sen said the paper now has enough ad revenue to support itself, but funding still remains a concern. The Hoya receives money from the Media Board, a group that oversees the budget and organization of twelve student media groups, but generates its own profits from ads.
“Budget considerations are a huge problem,” Sen said. “There is donor-like element to it. We are the only media board group who pulls in [money]. It’s very communist for a school.”
Financial conflicts still exist between The Hoya, and the Media Board, Sen said, but she hopes relationships will continue to improve.
“This past spring was the first time we asked the Media Board up front for money,” Sen said. “In the past, we’ve requested ad hoc money and paid the difference.”
The Hoya asked for $7,000 this year and received half of that amount from the Media Board. Part of the funds go towards printing 4,000 copies on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Sen said the Board still continues to support the current production cycle.
“We print twice a week and have budget concerns,” Sen said. “I’m surprised no one has pressured us to cut, which is unusual.”
In addition to the twice-weekly papers, The Hoya also publishes monthly special editions which range from new student guides to basketball season previews to homecoming features. Advertisers pay a higher rate for space in these publications, Sen said. The staff also publishes content online in between the Tuesday and Friday print issues, according to its website.
The Hoya faces direct competition from another student media organization on campus entitled The Georgetown Voice, a publication which started in the late 1960’s in response to the lack of Vietnam War coverage by The Hoya, according to The Georgetown Voice website. In 2006, The Georgetown Voice established a blog, Vox Populi, and The Hoya followed two years later with its own blog, Hoya Paranoia, which focused on D.C. and campus sports. The Hoya launched The Fourth Edition, a general news blog, in 2012, and Sen said the blog offers both light-hearted and serious content.
“The Fourth Edition is kind of like a Buzzfeed in the fact that it’s irregular in format,” Sen said. “We have some pieces that are stronger, like reactions to sexual assault [which] was incredibly serious and compelling. It’s kind of like a problem child in that people in the larger community don’t have a lot of respect for it, but it does draw people.”
Sen said she remains satisfied with the current number of blogs produced by The Hoya, but she continues to explore new ways to deliver breaking news, including the use of Twitter and Facebook for shorter, more interactive coverage. While innovation and digital media ideas grow within the newsroom at Georgetown, Sen said she still refers back to the papers archives for a sneak look at Georgetown campus culture throughout history.
“I think the paper is a great marker of campus climate for the times,” Sen said. “It’s a great way to see that to see what made front page news. What did people care to write about at that time?”