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ASUO: “No News Is Good News”

A couple of thoughts on the latest attempt to defund the ODE:

  • The Exec recommendation that gave rise to the decrease looks very familiar from last year. It’s based on a reader survey conducted during the 2003-2004 school year by the ODE, on its website, and it indicates that some percentage or other of the ODE’s readership is comprised of non-students. The slicing of the budget supposedly accounts for the non-student readership, although they might just as well have rolled a twenty-sided die.
  • This survey is completely useless, from a statistical standpoint, as the participants were self-selected. Moreover, there were only about a hundred respondents (D’oh! See below.) And it was on the website, if memory serves, which gets an unsurprisingly large number of readers from outside Eugene – a glance at all the random commenters they get from other states will convince you of this.
  • To reiterate: this survey was from the last school year.
  • That is, unless I’m missing something, they’re not just using meaningless figures, they’re using out-of-date meaningless figures.
  • Does this make anyone else want to just jump out of the window? Still, as my officemate put it: “Who ever heard of a university-subsidized student newspaper, anyway? It’s the kind of madness you’d only see in the liberal bizarro-world of Eugene.”

    UPDATED TO ADD: According to Moriah’s story from last year, it was 300 students. My memory ain’t what it used to be.

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    2. Stan says:

      I read the Commentator. I’m not even on the same continent. Maybe I should stop.

    3. Timothy says:

      After work I’ll put together a short-ish post on exactly why the numbers are garbage if the sample is self-selected. Stupid, stupid, children shouldn’t play with numbers. Likely to hurt themselves.

    4. Olly says:

      Aha. Thanks, Slade.

      The 10% budget slice recommended by the Exec this year was based on survey figures indicating the number of non-students who read the ODE (whether this means “read online” or “pick up an issue” is not clear.) Last year’s Exec used similar if not identical figures to justify tabling the ODE’s budget altogether. I hadn’t heard anything about a new poll, and my impression was that the same data were being used. Of course, unless the new survey you mention was conducted in a very different manner, I still question its validity in deciding how many non-students read the ODE. (Which wasn’t the point of the original survey, of course, but the ODE published the figures and the Exec just ran with them.)

    5. Slade says:

      Jesus, I didn’t even realize how bad it was. That mangled sentence should read, ‘there was an online survey conductec recently.’

    6. Slade says:

      Eh, that’s a my bad on the T’s there. Stupid stuck keys on the lab keyboards.

    7. Slade says:

      Your facts are a little boggled Olwas indeonline survey conducttttttt recenly, but as far as I know the ASUO didn’t refer to it during the ODE’s budget hearing. As far as I know (and I did help write it), it wasn’t even released for public consumption.

    8. Edwin Starr says:

      Say it again!

    9. Timothy says:

      Absolutely nothing.

    10. Danimal says:

      What does NEVER stand for?

    11. Timothy says:

      Good advice, Jan. The only lawyers I know are contract guys in Portland. You might try calling F.I.R.E. and the LI because I’ve gotten the impression that the CN is AWOL. Also, there can never be enough acronyms! NEVER!

    12. Jan says:

      I’d start at the Student Press Law Center, which provides legal advice/services (free, I think, if they like your case) to student publications. Also, the director is familiar with our campus.

      Also, I’m not sure how far into First Amendment law he delves, but Jack Orchard of Janik Ball LLP in Portland is the legal advice guy for the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, and he gives lectures on open records and such. He might be a good resource for finding a good lawyer.

      It might not be a bad idea to call up Melinda Grier, as the University itself could easily be named in the lawsuit, and the administration might want to take steps to avoid that. Nothing would be sweeter than the UO lawyer bitch slapping PFC to stop it from getting sued.

    13. Tyler says:

      Funny. The same night that the PFC threatened to de-fund the Emerald it gave OSPIRG $120,000. They did this despite the fact that OSPIRG’s independent audit wasn’t complete.

      This doesn’t bode well for us fellas. Anyone know of any good lawyers?

    14. Danimal says:

      Careful, Autumn, you’ll only give them ideas.

    15. AD says:

      With this logic:

      The PFC needs to stop supporting the Athletic Department through the ticket subsidy because more non-students than students watch the games (especially on television). The PFC would have to calculate the ratio of non-students vs. students (maybe through the purchase of an expensive ratings poll?).

      Cut all funding to the multi-cultural center, NASU, BSU etc. because non-students use their services and attend events (especially International Night and events that take place in the new Longhouse). Let’s not forget the annual pow-wows…which are a community events.

      Stop all funding for theater and music programs because, again, non-students attend concerts and plays (especially in Beall Hall during those classical concerts).

      Also, let us not forget OSPIRG. Their surveys are aimed to protect children from evil toys (These children are not students!) and entire communities-at-large from river pollution.

      How dare these programs share anything with anyone…especially knowledge!

    16. Timothy says:

      Wait wait, this is based on a non-scientific internet poll? Okay, screw that noise.

    17. Jan says:

      Well, technically the money pays for a bulk subscription to the paper for students by students, so I wouldn’t call it University-subsidized, especially considering the paper is completely indepedent from the University’s administration and gets most its funding from ads. Despite all that, I was always a supporter of the ability to opt-out of giving my money to groups, especially the ADFC (wasn’t a big sports fan, didn’t want the tickets).

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