Today is Giving Day, a time for alumni and donors to show support for the future of The Post. This funding ensures we remain independent and fair, even during social and political division.
The Post is an independent, student-run publication on Ohio University’s campus, but our news isn’t just for OU students. We are a primary news source for thousands of Southeast Ohio residents, most of whom live in a news desert.
News deserts, or regions where residents have limited access to reliable local news, are a growing problem in the U.S. Students coming to Athens find themselves, potentially for the first time, in a news desert.
Alumni are among the top donors on Giving Day. Susan DeFord, an OU alumnae, served as The Post’s editor-in-chief during the 1975-76 academic year.
“It is more important than ever that students have an independent voice … to hold policymakers accountable,” DeFord said. "People of my era helped uphold and sustain that independence during our years on campus, but now we have … an opportunity to make sure that independence and student voice in journalism is stronger than ever by supporting it with financial contributions of whatever amount.”
For over 100 years, The Post has been an essential outpost for news in the Appalachian region. In this divisive social and political time, independent reporting is crucial to nurturing the freedom of the press within these news deserts.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1 into law March 28. This law mandates the dissolution of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and limits universities’ ability to report on “controversial” subjects.
As outlined in SB1, OU will no longer be allowed to endorse or oppose any “controversial belief or policy,” which includes “issues such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.”
By next Fall, SB1 will be in full effect. Changes are already being made throughout Ohio; Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University have closed their offices of diversity and inclusion.
In a letter to students Monday, OU’s President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and Vice President Donald J. Leo responded to SB1 being signed into law.
“We are in active conversations with University leaders to finalize the process and timing of operational changes that will come as a result of this new legislation,” Gonzalez and Leo wrote, suggesting changes will soon be implemented on the university scale.
As an independent publication, The Post is not required to adhere to this law or changes made at the university level. With your support this Giving Day, we can continue to freely report on these “controversial” subjects and fill the information holes caused by this state-wide change.
Giving Day donations fund qualities that help The Post go above and beyond, fostering experiential learning and new opportunities for students. This funding allows our journalists to go into the community and cover events first-hand, whether breaking news or social celebrations.
From my perspective, I can confidently say The Post offers an unparalleled professional experience for students, one not often found on other campuses or at other student publications. This newspaper continues to contribute to my success both in and outside academia.
As I prepare to step into the role of community standards editor next year, I acknowledge this position, and The Post’s many other paid positions, would not exist without alumni support. But the funding this Giving Day means more. It will help ensure The Post stays independent, so we can continue to cover the administration’s attacks on higher education, equity and inclusion on campus without prior review, restrictions or restraint. With donations like the Laura Landro Solomon Fund, which directly supports student stipends at The Post, we can enhance both the quantity and quality of our coverage while maintaining editorial integrity.
To everyone who donates or has supported The Post in the past, thank you. Your continued support allows us to ensure our reporting is fair, accurate and timely. It guarantees The Post retains a crucial role in the news desert of Southeast Ohio.
If you would like to support The Post, visit our Giving Day link here.
