Editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      opinions
      expressed
      in
      this
      column
      do
      no
     
     
      necessarily
      reflect
      the
      opinions
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      this
     
     
      publication,
      or
      of
      the
      Student
      Union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Autonomy
      is
      defined
      by
      my
      trusty
      Webster
     
     
      dictionary
      as
      "having
      self-government,
      operating
     
     
      independently
      of
      other
      parts..."
      This
      is
      a
      lovely
     
     
      situation
      for
      a
      newspaper
      to
      find
      itself
      in,
      for
     
     
      obvious
      reasons.
      The
      purpose
      of
      this,
      and
      most
     
     
      periodical
      publications
      is
      to
      provide
      accurate
     
     
      information
      to
      their
      readers.
      Any
      infringement
      on
     
     
      autonomy,
      such
      as
      threats
      from
      outside
      influences,
     
     
      has
      the
      potential
      to
      distort
      any
      messages
      the
     
     
      publication
      is
      trying
      to
      convey.
      Publishing
     
     
      distorted
      information
      is
      a
      great
      way
      to
      lose
      the
     
     
      trust
      of
      readers.
      It
      then
      follows
      that
      if
      there
      are
     
     
      no
      readers,
      there
      is
      little
      reason
      for
      a
      publication
     
     
      to
      exist.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      An
      illustration
      of
      such
      a
      situation
      was
      suggested
     
     
      by
      a
      spokesperson
      at
      CUP
      (Canadian
      University
     
     
      Press,
      an
      organization
      of
      campus
      newspapers,
      of
     
     
      which
      this
      publication
      is
      a
      member).
      How
      many
     
     
      people
      would
      read
      a
      newspaper
      that
      was
      published
     
     
      by
      Joe
      Ghiz
      or
      Brian
      Mulroney?
      How
      many
     
     
      people
      would
      trust
      the
      information
      in
      that
     
     
      publication
      to
      be
      accurate
      and
      true?
      Despite
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
      both
      Ghiz
      and
      Mulroney
      were
      elected
      by
     
     
      the
      people,
      these
      men
      do
      not
      have
      the
      right
      to
     
     
      say
      what
      whould
      be
      published
      in
      the
      press,
      and
     
     
      what
      people
      should
      be
      reading.
      If
      anything,
      the
     
     
      press
      should
      be
      allowed
      to
      act
      as
      "watchdogs",
      to
     
     
      ensure
      that
      these
      elected
      officials
      do
      their
      job.
     
     
      The
      press
      does
      not
      exist
      for
      the
      politicians,
      it
     
     
      exists
      for
      the
      general
      population.
      That’s
      why
     
     
      autonomy
      is
      so
      important
      to
      newspapers.
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Unfortunately,
      in
      reality,
      this
      state
      of
      being
      is
     
     
      accomplished
      by
      very
      few
      newspapers,
      at
      least
      in
     
     
      the
      campus
      newspaper
      corner.
      According
      to
      CUP,
     
     
      there
      are
      only
      about
      15
      campus
      newspapers
      in
     
     
      Canada
      that
      are
      really
      autonomous,
      and
      those
      are
     
     
      the
      really
      big
      newspapers
      of
      the
      really
      big
     
     
      universities
      in
      the
      really
      big
      cities
      with
      really
      big
     
    
   
   
    
     
      corporations
      to
      financially
      support
      the
      paper
      with
     
     
      advertising
      dollars.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Most
      university
      publications,
      including
      the
      one
      you’re
     
     
      holding
      in
      your
      hand,
      are
      subsidized
      by
      the
      university
     
     
      student
      union.
      Putting
      together
      a
      paper
      is
      expensive
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      business.
      There
      are
      only
      so
      many
      doors
      in
      P.E.I.
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our
      advertising
      manager
      to
      knock
      on,
      and
      so
      this
     
     
      publication
      could
      not
      get
      by
      without
      the
      support
      of
     
     
      the
      student
      union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      this
      is
      where
      things
      get
      a
      little
      fuzzy.
      Politicians
     
     
      and
      press
      don’t
      get
      along
      very
      well,
      partly
      because
      of
     
     
      the
      nature
      of
      their
      jobs.
      There
      are
      countless
      examples
     
     
      of
      clashes
      between
      campus
      newspapers
      and
      their
     
     
      subsdizing
      student
      unions,
      from
      impeachment
      of
      entire
     
     
      newspaper
      staffs
      to
      complete
      elimination
      of
     
     
      newspapers.
      This
      is
      very
      disturbing
      to
      me.
      Referring
     
     
      back
      to
      the
      Ghiz/Mulroney
      analogy,
      would
      there
      not
     
     
      be
      public
      outcry
      if
      a
      politician
      wiped
      out
      a
      newspaper
     
     
      because
      of
      something
      it
      printed?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      think
      the
      most
      important
      point
      that
      must
      be
      kept
     
     
      in
      both
      the
      minds
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      campus
      newspapers
     
     
      and
      of
      their
      respective
      student
      unions,
      is
      that
      campus
     
     
      newspapers
      are
      NOT
      student
      union
      publications,
      they
     
     
      are
      STUDENT
      publications.
      The
      money
      that
      supports
     
     
      the
      publication
      does
      not
      belong
      to
      the
      student
      union,
     
     
      or
      to
      any
      elected
      member
      of
      the
      union.
      The
      money
     
     
      certainly
      doesn’t
      belong
      to
      me,
      as
      editor
      or
      to
      any
     
     
      staff
      member
      of
      this
      publication.
      A
      portion
      of
      the
     
     
      $99
      mandatory
      student
      union
      fee
      you
      paid
      when
      you
     
     
      registered
      for
      this
      institution,
      goes
      straight
      to
      this
     
     
      paper.
      This
      point
      must
      not
      be
      forgotten,
      especially
      by
     
     
      you,
      Joe
      Student.
      This
      is
      YOUR
      publication;
      you
     
     
      deserve
      accurate,
      undistorted
      info.
      and
      you
      should
     
     
      have
      your
      say
      in
      what
      is
      or
      isn’t
      printed.
      That’s
      just
     
     
      my
      opinion.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristine
      Suzuki
     
     
      Interim
      Editor-In-Chief
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      20th,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      3