Forgive, if you will for a minute, the irony of an article about campus publications being published in a campus publication. I use the term “publication” in a specific sense. First, I’d like to cut out the ‘Prince’ and the Nassau Weekly out of my definition, because what I’m about to argue doesn’t apply to them. The kind of publication at which my analysis is targeted is the glossy-finish, issue-specific magazine. While this list is by no means exhaustive, American Foreign Policy (AFP), Princeton Progressive Nation (PPN), the Princeton Tory, The Tiger and Cornerstone come to mind. These publications rely on a door-to-door model, pay different prices for printing, have trouble soliciting content and, worst of all, have an unclear (if potentially nonexistent) readership. Aaron Abelson ’11, current editor-in-chief of PPN, told me in an interview, “We always worry about and question demand on campus because we deliver so many magazines but know that many people just don’t read PPN — regardless of the fact that a lot of students here are politically involved.” Joel Alicea ’10, former publisher of the Tory and current intern for the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS), suggested a more dire situation: “The current model publications use is unsustainable.”
Issue-specific publications make a contribution to the overall academic life of the University and provide an outlet for student opinion that some news organizations (including this one) simply can’t. Publications that are entirely student-run also give underclassmen a chance to get involved in leadership positions early. The dire financial straits of these organizations should therefore be of concern to everyone. With that in mind, I’d like to suggest a few solutions to the problems campus publications are having.
First, publications need to organize. Alicea confirmed that many publications on campus pay different prices for publishing, often causing them to stay in debt “year after year after year.” Organizing an inter-publications council that would meet to ensure price fairness would eliminate many of the debt problems publications have. The council would also be able to collaborate to find advertising dollars and streamline production. Dan May ’11, editor-in-chief of AFP, told me, “Our publications are very different but we share a lot of the same concerns: production, printing, and distribution. Working together on these issues would be good for everyone.” A publications board could also run, jointly with ODUS, a website by which students could indicate the publications they want delivered to their rooms.
Finally, publications should do significantly more to make themselves relevant in an era in which print media looks increasingly less so. The first step in this process is ramping up web-based content. Brandon McGinley ’10, editor-in-chief of the Tory, told me that his magazine is making great strides toward establishing more of an internet presence: “It’s crucial to have your publication online if you’re looking for attention.” McGinley is also a columnist for the ‘Prince.’
I thought I’d close by suggesting an uncomfortable idea: that my suggestions here may prove useless and that fundamentally, there may not be as much demand for campus publications as many people believe. Princeton students have little time as it is, and demand for campus publications seems inversely proportional to issue specificity. The newer magazines on Asia, science and technology and economics have languished in my dining hall and college library. While it’s nice to think that students are interested enough in academic writing to create a new journal for each subject, the market for campus publications looks pretty saturated. A blog might be a better (certainly cheaper) alternative. Alumni or general circulation just doesn’t make sense. The financial trouble campus publications are having discussed in the News section of the ‘Prince’ two weeks ago seems like a natural ramification of this idea. Without University “bailouts,” some publications may go under.
Thankfully, the magazine my friends work for didn’t fold. It turned out that they had a lot more money than they’d originally realized. This, though, is an anomaly. While Butler’s furniture is (to the best of my knowledge) still more or less intact, campus publications aren’t, and they desperately need to modernize as the economy shows little signs of improving. Their futures depend on it.
Charlie Metzger is a freshman from Palm Beach, Fla. He can be reached at cmetzger@princeton.edu.
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