Decision to cut Lobo funding a big mistake

Editor,

I was absolutely floored to learn that ASUNM's funding to the Daily Lobo could be dropped to the tune of $36,000 per year.

Of all the student organizations on campus, it would seem that the Daily Lobo is one of the most important, for a variety of reasons.

First off, just about every student organization on campus relies on the Daily Lobo to inform the student body of their existence as well as their upcoming events.

Although every department on campus generates its share of paper, The Daily Lobo is, by far, the most read piece of paper at UNM. This is why my department and why many local businesses advertise religiously in the paper - it's also the best deal in town!

Secondly, the Daily Lobo is one of the most democratic organizations on campus. The paper is made available to every student, staff and faculty member at no cost. When was the last time you were able to enjoy the fruits of a student organization, let alone a quality newspaper, without paying for it?

Furthermore, the Daily Lobo invites all University members to contribute to it, either as letter writers, reporters, reviewers, photographers, poets or cartoonists. Being published on paper and ink, and having your words read by your peers is an exhilarating, life-changing experience.

Make no mistake about it, there is a huge difference between having one's words appear in cyberspace and having one's thoughts appear on paper. And thanks to the local nature of the Daily Lobo, we can read a variety of powerful opinions that would never make it into the Albuquerque Journal or The Albuquerque Tribune.

The Daily Lobo helps support the concept of freedom of the press by being an independent voice in the community, unaffected by the seduction of outside, corporate advertising revenues that can create huge conflicts of interest.

As an old newspaper man, I am enormously grateful to the Daily Lobo for being a testing ground for future journalists. I would much rather journalists made their mistakes in an academic scenario than in "the real world." Nevertheless, in the six years I have worked at UNM, I have seen the paper rise to the occasion many times. The energy and enthusiasm at the paper is impressive.

I hope the ASUNM Senate will reconsider their position about the Daily Lobo and its funding.

Freedom of the press does not come free: Sometimes it requires the infusion of cold, hard cash. And where that cash comes from oftentimes makes all the difference.

Charles Reuben

Manager,

School of Engineering Copy Center

Editor's note: The New Mexico Daily Lobo receives $36,000 in student fees through the ASUNM Constitution. The Senate passed an amendment Wednesday that would eliminate student funding of the the newspaper.