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Why do they still print The Observer?

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245

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    #32
    keepkeyyellow
    Registered Users Posts: 705 ✭✭✭keepkeyyellow


    Grimes wrote: »
    In all fairness its a bit of a silly season. Its not like the country is falling apart and fees are on the brink of coming in and the presidents of USI and UCDSU are Fianna Fail hacks.

    /sarcasm

    All of that was talked about in the paper if you actually read it.


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    #33
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    keepkeyyellow wrote: »
    All of that was talked about in the paper if you actually read it.

    Well Im glad the coke thing was on the front page, we wouldnt want to miss that.


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    #34
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    mloc wrote: »
    Paying that much a year to know that if I walk to certain fridges on campus I'll find a selection of soft drinks from more than one company?

    Slash budget by 90% and go online only. If it works, great. If it doesn't, then it shows it was wasted money to begin with.
    Why cut the print run if you're slashing the budget? Tribune prints just as often, just as high quality, without the budget. If they can't produce the same quality paper as them without being given 50k (i believe it was 50k), I don't feel they should be making a paper at all.


    Edit: So, question, are any class reps reading this thread? If so, I'd appreciate if you could get in touch with me, I've decided to try to make a referendum about removing the University Observer from the Union and therefore taking away it's funding happen. And if it gets to council I won't need to get 900 signatures on a petition.


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    #35
    mloc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭mloc


    Raphael wrote: »
    Why cut the print run if you're slashing the budget? Tribune prints just as often, just as high quality, without the budget. If they can't produce the same quality paper as them without being given 50k (i believe it was 50k), I don't feel they should be making a paper at all.


    Edit: So, question, are any class reps reading this thread? If so, I'd appreciate if you could get in touch with me, I've decided to try to make a referendum about removing the University Observer from the Union and therefore taking away it's funding happen. And if it gets to council I won't need to get 900 signatures on a petition.

    That's a fair point; if they can print it without SU money, great. I'd sign the petition if needs be.


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    #36
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    mloc wrote: »
    That's a fair point; if they can print it without SU money, great. I'd sign the petition if needs be.
    May not be neccessary, I've gotten in touch with my class reps who are prepared to bring it to council Tuesday the 30th. They're going to write it up in the proper language and get back to me.

    The system works.


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    #37
    keepkeyyellow
    Registered Users Posts: 705 ✭✭✭keepkeyyellow


    This is absolutely ridiculous. Even if it comes to a referendum it'll never be passed.


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    #38
    parker kent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,289 ✭✭✭parker kent


    Of all the things SU related, the Observer is probably the last thing I would call a referendum over. It actually contributes to UCD. I agree with the poster above in that it is a pretty ridiculous thing to waste a referendum on.


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    #39
    mloc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭mloc


    I think it's a step in the right direction; the SU will have to make cuts and I think the bloated Observer budget is a prime example of where to begin.


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    #40
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    parker kent wrote: »
    Of all the things SU related, the Observer is probably the last thing I would call a referendum over. It actually contributes to UCD. I agree with the poster above in that it is a pretty ridiculous thing to waste a referendum on.
    Well what would you then? And why not talk to your class rep about making it happen, or circulate a petition.


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    #41
    parker kent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,289 ✭✭✭parker kent


    Raphael wrote: »
    Well what would you then? And why not talk to your class rep about making it happen, or circulate a petition.

    Think it is pretty obvious, I would not have the referendum!

    Though my graduation ceremony is in a few weeks so it doesn't really bother me any more anyway :pac:


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    #42
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    I meant what would you call a referendum on.


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    #43
    Hi Everyone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Hi Everyone


    I think it is important to point out that the 50,000EUR allocated to the observer does not include the salaries of the three paid members of staff.

    The editor get paid 450, and the deputy editor and the designer get 400 per issue each ... times tweleve issues.

    The observer costs the union, realistically in the region of 70,000EUR a year. which is ridiculous as they also take in potentially over 1,000 euro in each issue with ads.

    The triibune, comes out just as often, and only gets money from ads.....

    and the tribune, this year anyway, is the superior paper.!


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    #44
    parker kent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,289 ✭✭✭parker kent


    The issues that I have with the SU are not really suitable for referendums. But basically expensive training trips for class reps, 40 grand a year on elections that are ignored by a massive majority of students, the wasteful perks given to sabbatical officers and most of the functions of Ents are items that I think are much bigger issues than a newspaper which actually contributes to UCD.

    You mentioned Belfield FM before in relation to the funding for The Observer, but I imagine that the vast majority of students don't even know it exists. Nor can it ever really compete with actual radio stations. I would have to sit down and go through the SU accounts (which I can't be bothered doing now that I'm finished in UCD as a student) to come up with a proper list of what is wasteful or unnecessary.

    Edit: The Observer could definitely cut costs, but I would not go to lengths of having a referendum on eliminating their funding. It could definitely do with some changes though. But it is a useful contributor to UCD and I have always felt it is superior to the Tribune.


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    #45
    Hi Everyone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Hi Everyone


    parker kent wrote: »
    d I have always felt it is superior to the Tribune.



    I always felt the same, however I think most student would agree that of late the Tribune has surpassed the observer in content and quality. ...... the country is falling apart, students are going to take a big hit.... and the observers front page this week was about cans of coke.


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    #46
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Hi Everyone wrote: »
    I always felt the same, however I think most student would agree that of late the Tribune has surpassed the observer in content and quality. ...... the country is falling apart, students are going to take a big hit.... and the observers front page this week was about cans of coke.

    It's a University Paper..... it provides news about the University.....

    Tribune is better? Bollocks, whatever my position with the Observer is, the week after one of the lawsoc events being cancelled there was at least three stories centred on that ONE issue. I've seen old copies of the Tribune online, it was much better back then, better written, better layout and so on.....


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    #47
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    They are both cack


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    #48
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Grimes wrote: »
    They are both cack

    Belfield FM is shíte.

    Check mate.


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    #49
    alwaysanon
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭alwaysanon


    Hi Everyone wrote: »
    I always felt the same, however I think most student would agree that of late the Tribune has surpassed the observer in content and quality. ...... the country is falling apart, students are going to take a big hit.... and the observers front page this week was about cans of coke.

    But it supposed to be a UCD media outlet; local UCD news, not national student news


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    #50
    alwaysanon
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭alwaysanon


    alwaysanon wrote: »
    But it supposed to be a UCD media outlet; local UCD news, not national student news

    I forgot to mention also, that I don't think you realise the enormity of the Coke thing in relation to the Britvic deal


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    #51
    Hi Everyone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Hi Everyone


    Fad wrote: »
    It's a University Paper..... it provides news about the University.....

    Tribune is better? Bollocks, whatever my position with the Observer is, the week after one of the lawsoc events being cancelled there was at least three stories centred on that ONE issue. I've seen old copies of the Tribune online, it was much better back then, better written, better layout and so on.....


    Observer is Propaganda


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    #52
    Oasis_Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,467 ✭✭✭Oasis_Dublin


    These media forms, whether they be the papers or the fantastic Belfield FM, are supposed to be targeting students. If I want to hear Larry Gogan, ill stick on national radio. If I want to hear something a bit more relevant to students, ill listen to BFM.

    The Papers are grand for in between lectures.


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    #53
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Hi Everyone wrote: »
    Observer is Propaganda

    Quantify that.

    (Observer is editorially independent from the SU)


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    #54
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    In all fairness Fad, their office is in the SU corridor and is funded by the union and the editor is usually an SU hack. Its supposed to be independent but in reality its not. Its an insult to people's intelligence to claim otherwise.


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    #55
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Grimes wrote: »
    In all fairness Fad, their office is in the SU corridor and is funded by the union and the editor is usually an SU hack. Its supposed to be independent but in reality its not. Its an insult to people's intelligence to claim otherwise.

    In previous years, possibly, but this year, knowing the editor, she is not an SU hack in any sense of the term.


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    #56
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    Fad wrote: »
    In previous years, possibly, but this year, knowing the editor, she is not an SU hack in any sense of the term.

    So there is an anomoly in the tradition but in general its fair to say that the newspaper is funded by and located in the Union. Also the SU Pres is on the interview pannel for the editor and vice editor position.

    In previous years the President, Aoghan O'Dea if I recall correctly threatened to withold funding until a retraction was made on a statement by the paper (quite rightly a retraction was called for).

    But I seriously doubt a case can be made for editorial indendence for the Observer in reality.


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    #57
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    Grimes wrote: »
    So there is an anomoly in the tradition but in general its fair to say that the newspaper is funded by and located in the Union. Also the SU Pres is on the interview pannel for the editor and vice editor position.

    In previous years the President, Aoghan O'Dea if I recall correctly threatened to withold funding until a retraction was made on a statement by the paper (quite rightly a retraction was called for).

    But I seriously doubt a case can be made for editorial indendence for the Observer in reality.

    Afaik, the deputy editor and the designer are employed by the union, but the editor is not.

    What was the statement about?

    This year, I firmly believe it is editorially independent, I am sure there have been SU hacks on the editorial team in the past though.


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    #58
    Mickey Rosa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20 ✭Mickey Rosa


    Is this being brought before council tonight?


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    #59
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    No, the 4th science group reacted underwhelmingly to the email that went out asking them if they'd support it, so the class reps decided to leave it till the new year.


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    #60
    Hi Everyone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Hi Everyone


    Is funding that is allocated to the observer being brought up at council? Its probably about time... apparently they print tweleve issues of the tribune for less than 20k


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    #61
    The Student Blog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭The Student Blog


    I agree with the majority of statements on this thread; it is a serious waste of E50,000, considering (apparently) the College Tribune produces the same amount of issues at a considerably lower cost.

    What annoys me the most about the Observer is that some of the writers (I won't call them journalists or columnists:D) are absolutely shocking! I mean that sports editorial that's in every issue has to be the worst piece of sports journalism I have ever read. The author lacks serious knowledge in the area of Football! Yet he's writing on it :eek:


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