The Virginia Informer

Infobox Newspaper
name = The Virginia Informer


caption =
type = Bi-weekly newspaper
format = Tabloid
foundation = 2005
ceased publication =
price =
owners = W&M students
publisher =
editor = Andrew Blasi
chiefeditor =
assoceditor =
maneditor =
staff = 64 Fact|date=October 2008
language = English
political = Conservative, Libertarian
circulation = 3,000
headquarters = Williamsburg, Virginia
sister newspapers =
oclc =
ISSN =
website = http://www.VAInformer.com

"The Virginia Informer" is a bi-weekly, student-run publication at The College of William and Mary. The organization also maintains "The Virginia Informer " Online, a new website that is updated daily. The "Informer" is officially non-partisan but known to challenge the campus establishment and have conservative and libertarian editorials [ [http://www.flathatnews.com/news/1188/nichol-delegates-authority "The Flat Hat" online: Sep 27 2007] ; Maxim Lott.] . Unlike the two dominant campus publications, "The DoG Street Journal" and "The Flat Hat", the "Informer" receives no funding from the college administration or student activity fee for any of its operations, but rather from the conservative non-profit group Collegiate Network.

Mission statement

"The "Virginia Informer" is an independent, non-partisan, student run publication devoted to reporting the news to the William and Mary community. We exist to provide an alternative to school sponsored news sources. We do not, and never will, receive any financial support from the College of William and Mary. We will not shy away from controversy or be afraid to challenge the norm. We strive to inform and engage our readers via responsible journalism and in-depth reporting, while fostering and giving voice to opinions that are often shut out by the campus establishment." ["The Virginia Informer" 23 Apr.-May 2008: 2.]

Issues and positions

Board of Visitors party

In early 2006, the "Informer" printed the name of a female student who accused a fellow student of rape at a sorority party held at the house of a member of the Board of Visitors. The "Informer" also called on that member, John Gerdelman, to resign [ [http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834131706 W&M paper calls for board member to quit] Timesdispatch.com, Feb 16, 2006, Andrew Petkofsky] . This was also in response to an e-mail sent to students by Vice President for Student Affairs Sam Sadler about the incident that included the name of the accused. The "Informer" did not print the name of the female student, a matter of public record, until the case had been settled out of court.

NCAA and the feathers

In 2006, the NCAA informed the College that it would need to remove the feathers from its athletic logo saying that they were hostile and abusive towards Native Americans. Even though then-President Gene Nichol expressed his disagreement with the decision, he did not challenge the decision, fearing that the court costs would take too much from the college fund. He refused donations from alumni wishing to fund the legal expenses of such a fight. Since then, the "Informer" has distributed 30,000 feathers at Homecoming football games in protest. [ [http://www.campusmagazine.org/articledetail.aspx?id=ba3ccda4-8f7a-476a-ac8a-fd3ee765875f The Virginia Informer to Hand Out 30,000 Feathers at William and Mary Homecoming] Campus Magazine Online, Oct 26, 2007 ] .

Wren Cross

The "Virginia Informer" had been outspoken against former President Nichol's decision to remove a historic cross from the Wren Chapel. The "Informer" sponsored a debate [ [http://www.isi.org/lectures/video/ram/cicero020107.ram Religion and the Campus: Should the Wren Cross be Reinstated in Wren Chapel?] , ISI Cicero's Podium - February 1, 2007. Accessed May 13, 2008.] on the subject between religion professor David Holmes and author Dinesh D'Souza. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/020207dnrelcross.1a66617.html Conservative author, religion professor debate cross removal] , Dallas Morning News, Feb 1 2007] . Nichol was offered to participate in the debate but declined. [ [http://phibetacons.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmU0NzlhMTQzNzRmNWZlMzRjMWRiNGI5MGRlY2M4MzU= Will he show?] John J. Miller, Phi Beta Cons, Jan 06 2007] .

Campus Free Speech

The "Informer" advocates for expanding free speech rights at William & Mary. In early 2008, the publication worked with free speech advocate and W&M student Braum Katz as well as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to have the college administration turn the school into a FIRE "Green Light" university. Such a designation would bring William and Mary's speech code in line with FIRE's interpretation of the US Constitution and, according to Katz, make the college one of the most free speech friendly universities in the United States. [ [http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/9227.html Former FIRE Intern Works to Reform Repressive Policies at College of William and Mary] , FIRE's The Torch. Accessed April 25, 2008.] .

References