'The Columbia Missourian' to switch to five issues per week

Posted to On Campus by Josh Barone at 4:04 p.m., Dec. 22, 2008

After several months of discussions about the financial challenges facing The Columbia Missourian, today in a statement MU Provost Brian Foster announced changes that will save both the paper and money. 

The community newspaper, which serves as a real-world laboratory for Journalism School students, has operated at a deficit for over a decade.

To save about $350,000 a year, The Missourian will remain a home-delivery print newspaper. To cut printing and distribution costs, the Saturday edition will be eliminated, changing the number of issues from six to five per week. Vox, the magazine equivalent of The Missourian, will remain a weekly publication.

In the statement, Foster said the deficit issue is a very complex one.

“The operating deficit is very significant, but the value of the Journalism School is also extremely significant,” he said.

Foster said the Missourian is one of the greatest assets of the Journalism School. He said there is a virtual consensus that the newspaper should maintain a significant print presence.

Foster said this is the best possible outcome.

“We appreciate the rich and varied input that we have received on this issue,” he said. “We will review the matter after the next three years or so and will solicit additional input at that time.”