UPDATED: Leeds Student to stop printing due to lack of funds

A Sign the petition Leeds University’s student newspaper is to stop printing after a funding crisis within the students’ union.

Leeds Student today reported that a target set by Leeds University Union to cover printing costs had fallen short by £5,200, meaning the paper should cease printing.

Society members were informed of the decision earlier this week, according to the paper.

Students have been left dismayed by the decision, with 37 societies coming out in support of the paper.

The Institute of Communication Studies said that “Without the paper there is no independent platform to represent students and hold the Uni to account,” whilst LUU Athletics Club called it “vital for coverage of sports teams and events.”

Leeds Student, which includes the BBC’s Nicholas Witchell, The Observer’s Jay Raynor and the Daily Mail’s Paul Dacre amongst its previous editors, has won multiple student media awards — including the Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year three times.

It is published weekly and is funded partly through the union, and partly through advertising — although attempts to fund it through increased external advertising have been turned down over concerns that the union’s own services would be threatened, according to the paper.

Leeds Student’s editor Rehema Figueiredo told The National Student: “As the voice of students on campus, this paper feels it is your right to be heard. LS offers thousands of students every year the opportunity to do so. LS is rightfully partially funded by LUU and partially by advertising, which is also managed by the Union. When LUU fails to fulfil this agreement, it fails the students that it represents. LS is run by a team of 45 volunteers who consistently and selflessly give up several days a week to bring this paper to you, often at the expense of their academic work. Hundreds of students use this paper as a space to express themselves, writing reviews, news articles and comment pieces. If this paper is not a priority for LUU, it begs the question ‘what is?’

Figueiredo adds: “This paper has a long and illustrious history of upholding free speech, producing quality content and being led by students who go on to do great things in the national media. The continuation of our reputation is now put at risk by the very institution it relies on.”

A petition on change.org, written by Kyle Hulme, is calling for LUU to provide the remaining £5,200 funding, “for the sake of aspiring journalists and future students.”

The petition, addressed to LUU, states that the “Leeds Student, Leeds University’s free student newspaper, is an integral part of the university’s ecosystem. We are a committed, intelligent and passionate group of volunteers who, week in week out, compose a paper that students across campus enjoy. It is vital that the Union fulfils its promise to fund this valuable platform for free speech.”

It ends by saying “We have received an astonishing level of support from societies across the university so far, but we require your support in order to bolster our campaign.”

Students and alumni have taken to twitter in support of the paper, which was launched in 1966.

Sign the petition here.

Originally published at https://www.thenationalstudent.com.