We are writing to appeal a proposed dramatic 53% cut in University support for the Daily Collegian in fiscal 2023-24.

As Penn State graduates, we know well that the Daily Collegian is far more than a student newspaper and website. The Collegian has been Penn State’s voice for 136 years and now is a modern news outlet with platforms across digital, podcast and social media in addition to the small, inexpensive weekly printed newspaper.

Perhaps more importantly, The Collegian is a vital learning tool and a platform for hands-on learning – not only for journalism, but also for communications, advertising, and marketing students. It has helped countless students find their voices, learn to make good arguments, understand how a business works, and so much more.

Such real-world experience gained at a young age can be vital to success. In addition, The Collegian provides an important service to the University – news, sports and entertainment for students, faculty, administrators and State College residents.

Throughout its 136 years, The Collegian has been honored for its excellence in journalism. Recently, The Collegian swept the Keystone Media Awards in the category for schools with 10,000 students or more. The Collegian took home more honors than any other school in the annual competition. In addition, diversity, equality, and inclusion are core principles of The Collegian.

On behalf of all past, present and future Daily Collegian staffers and Bellisario College of Communications and Smeal College of Business students, as well as all Penn Staters who value what the Collegian brings to our shared community, we ask that The Collegian be treated as a valuable student-run business that provides hands-on, real-world experience that helps students explore their passions. We ask for an end to the yearly cycle of fighting for a sustainable budget, and we ask that support from the University’s general fund not be cut to $200,000 next year from the $425,000 it was this year.

We understand that The Collegian has an obligation to contribute to Penn State’s financial turnaround but ask that the paper be treated fairly and as a valuable student experience. We appeal to your desire to provide real-life experience and enrich the learning experiences of those who aspire to be the next generation of digital storytellers and journalists, strategic communicators and those on marketing, advertising and other business school career paths who can take advantage of the best independently run student media in the United States – Penn State’s Daily Collegian.