The Daily Californian: A Free Press Isn't Free

Carol Christ nominated as UC Berkeley’s next chancellor;

Milo Yiannopoulos event canceled as violent protests erupt at UC Berkeley;

Court rules UC can no longer consider SAT, ACT in admissions;

Berkeley health officer issues emergency stay-at-home order

These are just a few of the stories we have covered over the past several years. For the past 150 years, students at the Daily Cal have been bringing the Berkeley community stories chronicling UC Berkeley, the city of Berkeley and the entire UC system. While doing so, about 300 students get training in journalism, business and other professional fields each year. We’ve garnered dozens of awards at the regional and national level and our alumni fill newsrooms across the country at places such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, NBC News, San Francisco Chronicle, ProPublica and The New Yorker to name a few.

The times they are a-changing…

Although the pandemic, the advent of “fake news” and changes in how people get their news have provided challenges for us, they have also provided an opportunity to reexamine and rethink some of our practices in bringing you the news. Above all we have recommitted to providing the community with independent, unbiased news during these unsettled times.

Why we need your help

Since declaring independence in 1971, we have been an independent, student-run newspaper. Other than the student-approved campus fee that covers about 30% of our budget, we get no money from the university. Historically, 40% of our budget has come from advertising revenue and 30% has come from donations. As ad revenue has plummeted, we’ve been forced to make significant cuts in our budget. Our editors and managers make less money in real dollars than their counterparts did 30 years ago. And, we have neglected the capital equipment and software that we use to help us meet our budget. 

Our goal

Your donations will help us fill in some of the gaps that have gone unfunded due to budget cuts. Our goal of $7,500 will allow us to provide scholarships to three Daily Cal staff members and help us replace our outdated computers and add needed software to assist in smoother production. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you

The entire staff of the Daily Californian appreciates your support. Please visit us at: dailycal.org, and on Facebook and Twitter.