According to the paper’s Twitter account:
BREAKING NEWS: @UofMemphis restores the @DailyHelmsman’s funding after an investigation revealed content was a factor in the funding cut. New funding method will be put into place before next fiscal year’s allocation cycle. Full investigation report has not been released, yet.
While the full report isn’t out yet, I’m guessing this isn’t over yet. A university can’t have a committee cut something like this and not be punished.
Here’s part of the president’s statement:
Interviews with members of the Student Fee Allocation Fund Committee revealed that the content of The Daily Helmsman was discussed leading to an appearance that it may have been a factor in the committee’s recommendation to reduce funding from $75,000 to $50,000. Discussions centering on criteria for the disbursement of student fees may have made it difficult for committee members to separate the application of those criteria to programs where content is relevant, as opposed to the Helmsman where content is not relevant. The seven-member Student Fee Allocation Fund Committee is comprised of students, faculty and staff who recommend how funds should be disbursed from the annual Student Activity Fee.
Since content may have been a factor, we will restore the $25,000 in funding to The Daily Helmsman. Additionally, we will explore and recommend a structure and a process for funding the Helmsman that identifies appropriate funding sources prior to the 2013–14 Student Fee Allocation cycle.
Those “faculty and staff” should be dealt with, and Shirley Raines is as shrewd as ever. The bit about conversations “leading to an appearance that it may have been a factor” in the cuts is the most slimy sentence I’ve read all week.