The Collegian important part of campus survey says

By JENNA NIELSEN

Fresno State students place a high value on the importance of The Collegian, and most who read it regularly have confidence in its objectivity and writing, a recent survey concluded.

Mass communication and journalism graduate students and a representative from Associated Students interviewed 439 students to find out what they thought of The Collegian.

The survey found a number of students rate The Collegian highly in terms of overall quality in its objectivity and writing.

Many students who regularly read The Collegian also find it to be useful and important.

Nearly 8 percent of the students interviewed either agreed or strongly agreed that the Collegian is an important part of Fresno State.

History major Jon Gillespe reads The Collegian regularly and feels it is important for students to have a resource they can go to.

“It keeps students informed about issues that are important to them that you may not be able to get anywhere else,” Gillespe said.

The survey found that 48.5 percent of students enjoy reading The Collegian regularly or occasionally, while 16.2 percent never read the student-produced campus newspaper. Of those who don’t read the paper, 21.2 percent said they had no time and 17.1 percent just had no interest.

Of those who read The Collegian regularly, 42 percent said the overall content is good or excellent, while 38 percent think it is just average.

In terms of its timeliness, editorials, objectivity and writing, most students rated The Collegian in the medium to very high range.

The survey did reveal a low level of interest in some areas. Disinterest was common among those interviewed regarding The Collegian’s ethnic supplements. An average of 74 percent of students said they never read Asian Pacific Review, Hye Sharzhoom, La Voz de Aztlan or The Uhuru Na Umoja.

Only about 5 percent said they occasionally or frequently read the supplements.

Information systems major Say Xiong said he normally skips over the inserts.

“Unless it pertains to me or catches my eye, I just skip over it and read something else,” Xiong said.

Though students seem to have a high level of confidence in the paper, they showed less support when asked if they would be willing to help fund it.

Sixty five percent of students interviewed said they would not be willing to pay for the paper. Sixty percent valued The Collegian at $3.50 or more per semester, but only 26 percent were willing to pay that amount.

Suzie Kesablyan, a health science major, said she reads The Collegian regularly and wouldn’t mind paying a small fee each semester.

“Five dollars a semester wouldn’t be bad, considering a single book costs $90,” Kesablyan said.

Esmeralda Ramirez, a pre-pharmacy student, is opposed to a fee to help fund The Collegian.

“It is supposed to be a service provided by the university to keep the students informed. And it would be unfair for students that don’t read the newspaper to have to pay,” Ramirez said.

Though opinions remain mixed regarding funding, there is a general consensus among those who regularly read The Collegian. Overall, the survey revealed students find it to be informative and well composed.