One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
State senator urges LA City College president to back off student newspaper
File photo of Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, center, talks about a bill to ban state agencies and organizations that use state funding from using children as translators, during a Capitol news conference held in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 1, 2003.
(
KPCC
)
Listen
0:57
State senator urges LA City College president to back off student newspaper
State senator urges LA City College president to back off student newspaper
A California state senator is now backing editors of the campus newspaper at Los Angeles City College in a struggle with administrators. The newspaper says the college cut its budget in retaliation for articles critical of administrators. KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has the story.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: In a letter, San Francisco Senator Leland Yee urged L.A. City College President Jamillah Moore to respect the free speech rights of student reporters. Frank Elaridi, editor-in-chief of the Collegian, the 80-year-old campus newspaper, says Moore has tried to cut reporters’ access to public meetings and slashed its budget.
Frank Elaridi: I think, really important to not only have a politician stand behind what you’re saying, especially when laws are involved and legal issues, but more importantly a senator who wrote some of the laws that she’s breaking.
Guzman-Lopez: She, President Moore, was not available for comment. English Department Chair Tammy Robinson denies the budget cut was retaliatory.
Tammy Robinson: I don’t quite understand how when the college is facing such a heavy deficit of $7.5 million, how the Collegian can say that they’re being targeted.
Guzman-Lopez: The dean of student life is proposing to move the newspaper from an academic department to his supervision. He wants the college newspaper to become self-sufficient. In the meantime, the Collegian is up for three national student newspaper awards at an event in Texas later this month. A dozen staffers are set to make the trip.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
