The student newspaper Lundagård will have three editors next year as well. The Students’ Unions of Lund University decided to change their previous decision of reducing the number of editors to two, and will now advertise three positions in the interval 2015-2016.
In March this year, the Students’ Unions of Lund University, Lus, the owners of the student newspaper Lundagård, decided to reduce the number of editors as of 2015. Three full-time editors were to become two because of the newspaper’s and Lus’s weaker economy.
Since then, the newspaper has found new sources of income and has also reduced its costs considerably. During the sessions this Wednesday, things took a new turn. After a short discussion, a decision was made to advertise three editorial positions in the period 2015-2016, as well – two positions for two years, and one for one year.
According to the Students’ Unions, the reason for making one post only lasting one year was that it will be possible to conduct an economic follow-up next year as well, and to encourage Lundagård to continue to work actively to find more ways to finance the newspaper.
Hanna Gunnarsson, the chairperson of the steering committee of Lundagård, was happy when the meeting was over:
“It feels very good that Lundagård can keep operating with three people working full-time. That makes it easier to maintain the quality the newspaper has today, and to continue developing it,” Hanna Gunnarsson says.
The economical question is still of interest
In spite of the victory, Hanna Gunarsson says that the economical question is still not easy to tackle, but that it is up to the owners, i.e. the Students’ Unions, to bring it up for discussion.
“The advertisement situation still has not recuperated from where it was a few years ago. Lundagård is largely financed by advertisements, so we need to look over how we can increase receipts from that, as well as from other sources,” Hanna Gunnarsson says.
Annika Skogar, one of the three present editors at Lundagård, is just as relieved after the evening’s sessions.
“Most of all, we wanted them to cancel the decision completely, but we are still happy that we could reach a compromise with the Unions,” she says.
What the conditions will be for the position of one year is up to the steering committee of Lundagård to decide, and Annika Skogar thinks that the position can bring something positive.
“The position terminating after one year might be more attractive, since it is easier to be granted an interruption of studies during a shorter period of time,” she says.
What future do you see for Lundagård?
“Until next year, we are hoping for a stable economic situation, and that our successors won’t be subject to any economic reductions. Right now, it all looks good, so it should not happen,” Annika Skogar says.
Text: Tove Nordén
Translation: Richard Helander
