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The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

The weekly student newspaper of Bucknell University

The Bucknellian

Policies

MISSION

The Bucknellian’s mission, as Bucknell University’s only neutral news publication, is to provide objective campus and community news to the student body and campus community at large. The Bucknellian serves a readership that includes students, faculty, staff, trustees, parents, alumni and local residents.

We understand that journalism is grounded in trust by our readers and take seriously our responsibility to deliver unbiased coverage of campus climate, news, and issues. Our writers and editorial board work diligently and carefully to remove bias from our articles (except, of course, those in the Opinions section) and seek all perspectives on an issue.

The Bucknellian does not receive funding from the University and therefore does not directly represent the views of the University’s administration. This independence is fundamental to our mission and allows our coverage to be as factual and truthful as possible.

We report on what our student body cares about, no matter how controversial or challenging a topic. It would be irresponsible to jeopardize our credible role as the only neutral news source on campus by pushing any other agenda.

 

HISTORY

Originally named The Orange and Blue, The Bucknellian published its first issue in 1896, just 50 years after the University was founded. The newspaper was one of the first student-run organizations on campus. The Bucknellian’s first issue addressed topics similar to today’s in many respects — sports, lecture series, campus activities, etc.

The newsroom and business offices of The Bucknellian have had many homes — as far back as the early 1980s, staffers will recall that the newspaper occupied the basement floor of Roberts Hall. However, after a brief stint in the basement of Robert’s Hall, The Bucknellian now has a permanent home: Stuck House. In the fall of 2017, the newspaper offices officially moved into the newly renovated two-story student media space, shared with Bucknell’s student-run radio station, WVBU. Stuck House is located on Seventh Street between Seventh Street Café and Smith Hall.

The Bucknellian celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2017. The Development and Alumni Relations office held receptions during Homecoming Weekend 2016 and Reunion Weekend 2017 for Bucknellian alumni and current staff members.

 

EMPLOYMENT

Students make all decisions about policy, editorial content, layout, advertising, and marketing. The Bucknellian operates in two sections: the editorial side and the business side. The executive board of The Bucknellian oversees both units.

 

Editorial

All editorial positions are unpaid; writers and editors volunteer their time and energy.

 

Business

Our business positions are paid, starting at an hourly rate of $10.00/hr. Unlike our editorial positions, business positions are liable and responsible to the University. Business positions range in time commitment and experience.

For a list of open positions, please contact the print managing editor.

 

DISTRIBUTION/CIRCULATION

The Bucknellian is published 11 times each semester on Fridays. The paper also prints a specialty Commencement  issue each May/June at the discretion of the editorial board.

The paper is printed in Sunbury, Pa. at the printing press of The Daily Item. Today, the paper has a print circulation of 2000. Every issue runs two six-page sections, each with color on the front and back.

The Bucknellian is distributed in various on-campus and downtown Lewisburg locations. For a full list of locations, please see our “Newsstand Locations” section under the “About” tab.

 

OPERATIONS

Students design and lay out the paper at The Bucknellian offices on Wednesdays during production night in the newly renovated student media space, Stuck House. Board edits are conducted Thursday mornings followed by full editorial board meetings Thursday afternoons.

 

POLICIES

 

ANONYMOUS SOURCES POLICY

For transparency’s sake, we strive to keep all of our sources on the record. Writers do not promise anonymity to any source without consulting the editor-in-chief. When and if a source is published anonymously, the decision is a reflection of the executive board’s belief that the source would be in imminent danger or threat if a name were to be used.

The decision to publish anonymously using an off the record source will be stated up front in the article. If a source is otherwise unnamed, it is because The Bucknellian did not have access to a named source at the time of publication. This will also be stated up front in the article.

Per the Society of Professional Journalists, The Bucknellian exercises extreme caution when identifying juvenile suspects or victims of a sex crime and naming criminal suspects before official charges are filed. Therefore, anonymous sources are most likely to be used with cases involving an administrative, legal or criminal investigation in which identities are not made available/released.

 

EDITORIAL POLICY

The editorials of The Bucknellian reflect the consensus of the editorial board, in regard to both the topics and the general position assumed by each editorial. Editorial board members contribute on a weekly basis to each editorial topic. If a consensus can not be reached on an editorial, the opinions expressed are those of the editor-in-chief. All other material contained in the Opinions section represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of The Bucknellian.

 

PUBLISHING POLICY

All published material is chosen by The Bucknellian’s editorial board without any prior review by the advisory board, the newspaper advisor, the University or the Bucknell Student Government. The executive board, specifically the editor-in-chief, is responsible for making all final publishing decisions.

Material in our print publications serves as University public record and cannot be modified. However, the editorial board may make updates, corrections or clarifications to articles in our online edition. Changes made to online articles run with an “EDITOR’S NOTE” in either the header or the footer of the page.

“Editor’s note: We regret that this article ran in our print Sept. 16 edition without viewpoints from the Athletics Department. This updated online edition reflects this substantial change.”  

It is the discretion of the editorial board to decide whether a correction made to an online article also warrants an in-print correction in a subsequent issue. Correction decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the editorial board.

The Bucknellian does not remove articles from its online editions. Instead, articles may be edited with an Editor’s Note to reflect substantial changes or new information.

 

ELECTIONS POLICY

Elections for the incoming editorial board are held twice a year, at the end of each semester. The Bucknellian maintains democratic integrity for all elections; any student (current staff member or not) is welcome to run for any position. There are no qualifications or prerequisites for any editorial board position, however, consideration may be given to those with more experience on staff.

During elections, each current editorial board member anonymously fills out a slate with their choice for each position. Votes are tallied by members of the current executive board.

 

SUBSCRIPTIONS POLICY

Subscriptions are available for $70 per year and $45 per semester. To subscribe, send payment and address information to: The Bucknellian Subscriptions, Box C-3952, Lewisburg, PA 17837. Subscriptions are mailed first-class on the Monday after publication. Please send change-of-address information to the above location as well. Please note that subscriptions are non-refundable and require semester/yearly renewal.

 

ADVERTISING POLICY

We aim to treat advertisers with the fairness and neutrality we treat our writers and readers. The editorial staff of The Bucknellian reserves the right to deny any advertisement submitted for publication on print, social media, or online formats, if it believes that publication of that ad would meaningfully compromise the mission or integrity of the publication as a whole. Advertisements should be submitted to the advertising manager by the Monday prior to each issue’s publication. Additionally, all advertisements should clearly disclose the organization(s) responsible for the message contained within the ad. All ads containing claims of fact will undergo a process of fact-checking by the editorial board; if claims are found to be inaccurate, the advertiser will be required to amend the advertisement before its publication to remove such claims.

For advertising rates or to receive our advertising guide, please contact the advertising manager or view the information under the “Advertising” tab.

 

FREE SPEECH ISSUES

Bucknell University values free speech and academic freedom. Because The Bucknellian is independently-funded, the University does not engage in any prior review of The Bucknellian, nor can it censor content or make content suggestions.

As aforementioned, The Bucknellian is distanced from University administrative offices as well as from the student government and other student associations, both in its operations and its line of oversight.

 

WEB COMMENT POLICY

The editorial board of The Bucknellian reserves the right to review all comments before they are posted on the website and remove any if deemed offensive, illegal or in bad taste. Comments left on our web pages are not necessarily in-line with the views expressed by the writer.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

The Bucknellian abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, a full copy of which can be accessed here.

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