We stopped by the offices of the assistant vice president for Media Relations, associate dean of Student Affairs, Student Government adviser, and student media director.
And all of them seemed to buy what we're selling.
In fact, one of their big questions was: How are you selling ads?
Since Owl Times isn't supposed to compete with the University Press, it's a fair question. There's a fascinating answer.
Earlier this summer, Student Affairs rejected advertising worth up to $40,000 a year. But to understand how that happened, you first have to know how the UP works...
Unlike many other student newspapers, the UP doesn't sell its own ads. Instead, it hires another company to do that. The company also agrees to pay the printing costs. In exchange, it gets to keep most of the profits – when there are any. Some years have been quite lean.
I inherited this arrangement 12 years ago, and I often renegotiated the terms to favor the UP. I moved the contract three times, and when I was fired, it was moving again.
The old company was a publisher of small local magazines, and it offered to keep placing its accounts into the UP – and split the profits 50-50. For whatever reason, Student Affairs said no.
So Owl Times exists because of these accounts. We won't pursue any advertiser the UP is pitching.
SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAPERS
I realize Owl Times seems too weird to be true. And some FAU officials are skeptical: How can the ex-adviser who writes that laborious blog embark on a PR mission for our school?
It's another fair question. That's why I'm pausing the blog. No more daily updates. Starting now. It's been exactly 70 posts, and I'm as bored writing them as you are reading them.
I really believe Owl Times can light the peace pipe between the UP and Student Affairs. Is that naive? We'll see.
TOMORROW: There is no tomorrow.
