Schools

The Red and Black Board To Meet Over Resignations

A draft memo on coverage guidelines prompted the dispute. Economic factors apparently prompted the guidelines.

Board members of The Red and Black plan to meet Thursday in Athens to try to resolve a dispute that recently led to the.

A source has told Patch that a meeting is planned in connection with the dispute. The resignations were in response to a draft memo from the Red and Black board that included guidelines for news coverage.

"There has been a lot of miscommunication all around," a board member, who requested anonymity, said Friday.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

-- What's your reaction to the editors' resignations? The board's position? Tell us in the comments below.

Here’s that draft memo.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Red and Black has been independent of the university since 1980, with its own board of directors. Also, the paper went to an online-first format in 2011. Economic factors associated with that shift may have prompted the draft memo.

Charles Russell, a member of the Red and Black board, has posted about the situation on Facebook

"Last year, the leadership insisted—and the students embarked—on a bold move to digital-first. That move also included abandonment of the daily student newspaper that generations of UGA students, faculty and staff have come to expect; and a move to publication of a weekly format in print that was largely unsuccessful in filling that need. What we’ve done at the board level, is authorize significant new expenditures from reserves to more fully deliver on our training mission, by providing the support staff to help the students learn how to juggle multiple media initiatives successfully—all while staying focused on why they’re in Athens in the first place: to get their education."

Patch will have continuing coverage of The Red and Black situation.

See also:



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Suwanee