In keeping with The Spectator’s goals of improving coverage of all issues of importance to students, including Student Senate, The Spectator staff has decided to not ask the Senate’s Finance Commission for Student Segregated Fees this year.

Thomas Jefferson famously declared, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter.”

Although its ability arguably has declined as of late, the importance of media as an objective informant to the masses still has merit. Nationally, corporate and political interests have impeded on media’s ability to report objectively and, therefore, the mediums themselves have noticed a decline in consumer trust.

As a student media outlet, the job of The Spectator is to inform students of UW-Eau Claire in an impartial way. We strive to provide the information students at Eau Claire want and need to know.

When it comes to covering politics, our Student Senate most directly affects the lives of most of our readers. This is why a reporter from The Spectator attends the Student Senate meetings every Monday night and a Senate story is run every Thursday.

As of the fall 2006 semester, The Spectator will be funded entirely by advertising. In previous years, The Spectator has been partially funded by the students of the university through their segregated fees, which were allocated by the elected members of Student Senate.

On one hand, the economic relationship between The Spectator and the student body provided students with a method of holding The Spectator accountable to them, and The Spectator needs to continue to be held accountable for what is printed.

The source of accountability can and must be continued without a direct monetary connection with the student body, however. The very nature of what we strive to accomplish at The Spectator, promoting objectivity and accuracy, inherently is reliant on our responsibility as journalists.

With that comes the opportunity for scrutiny of The Spectator by its readers. We encourage students to hold us accountable through interaction with the paper, such as writing letters to the editor or posting comments on the Spectator’s Web site in online forums.

Additionally, the Spectator has never experienced a Senate that has tried to use monetary influence over reporting. Hence, the decision of independence was not made because of any particular incident or situation.

Regardless, there is an inherent conflict of interest that arises when a media outlet reports on a governmental body it is dependent on for funds. Independence is neccessary in order to aleviate this conflict. It is with this in mind that accountability and objectivity will be promoted through independence.

The Spectator has appreciated the symbiotic relationship it shares with the Student Senate for many years. Our Senate always has been more than willing to speak with reporters and hence does a tremendous job of being accessible to the student body. This relationship should in no way be hindered by The Spectator staff’s decision to not seek Student Segregated Fees.

Furthermore, this decision was made, in part, because The Spectator can run self-sufficiently at this time. Financially, we are able to rely on advertising, therefore the money The Spectator usually receives can be used for other campus programs or services that serve the student body.

In making the decision to become an independent media source for the students of Eau Claire, The Spectator will be able to provide objective coverage of Student Senate. This not only alleviates a conflict of interest, it also allows us to better serve you, our readers.

Pelleymounter is a senior print journalism and political science major and editor in chief of The Spectator.