The Saginaw Valley Journal

Vol. X, No. 52

*The Saginaw Valley Journal* was a campus newspaper at SVSU from 2009 until 2016 that was known for its aggressive coverage of the SVSU Student Association. The publication now covers the Great Lakes Bay Region as a community newspaper.

The current chairman of the newspaper is Daniel Chapman, a former Student Association Parliamentarian and presidential candidate. The publication's chief executive is Nick Byard, a former Student Association Representative.

## History

Founded in 2009 as a campus newspaper for Saginaw Valley State University, the publication was one of only a handful of for-profit campus newspapers in the nation. Its existence drastically changed the media landscape on campus. During its college years, *The Saginaw Valley Journal* was profiled by the *Columbia Journalism Review* and *College Media Matters*, a popular campus newspaper blog.

The newspaper marketed its 'inside baseball' content more to student leaders and administrators than to a general student audience. In addition, the publication steadfastly refused to accept funding from tax-payers or SVSU.

In 2013, Blackhurst Campbell LLC purchased the newspaper from Sterling, Hoffman & Co. in a deal involving cash and shares of Blackhurst. The final sale price was not disclosed.

## Student Association

The Saginaw Valley Journal was known for its aggressive and comprehensive coverage of the association. Student Association Parliamentarian Jeremy Jones publicly said that before *The Saginaw Valley Journal*, the association was seldom held accountable for its actions publicly and that student leaders became more diligent in their duties.

## Criticism

The newspaper also had its fair share of critics, however. For his role in founding the newspaper, Michael Westendorf was removed from *The Valley Vanguard's* editorial board. He was also threatened in 2011 by Student Association Public Information Officer Jordan Garland, who said that *The Saginaw Valley Journal* should print “just 'happy news' like *The Vanguard*."

Even Jones, who briefly served as Opinion Editor in 2011, said that the reports on alleged corruption that embarrassed student leaders also led to less productivity within student government.

"The staff at *[The Saginaw Valley Journal]* is not so concerned about saving face as it is with reporting the news. But that has also come with a downside," he said at the time.

## "Graduation"

The newspaper branched out to cover the Great Lakes Bay Region in the spring of 2016, abandoning regular coverage of the campus of SVSU in favor of local governments, school districts, athletics, local small business and finance news, as well as other areas-of-interest within the community.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.cjr.org/news\_startups\_guide/2011/10/the-saginaw-valley-journal.php
2. ↑ http://www.collegemediamatters.com/2011/11/28/for-profit-student-newspapers-new-college-media-trend/
3. ↑ http://www.saginawvalleyjournal.com/site/home/blackhurst-campbell-to-purchase-the-saginaw-valley-journal/
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.saginawvalleyjournal.com/site/home/about/
5. ↑ http://www.saginawvalleyjournal.com/site/home/baumgardner-removes-westendorf-from-board/
6. ↑ http://www.saginawvalleyjournal.com/site/home/student-association-public-information-officer-threatens-newspaper-editor-1/