ABOUT US

The legacy of independent student journalism at Texas A&M

Friends of The Battalion is a non-profit organization formed in the summer of 2019 to help stabilize the financial viability of the student-run newspaper at Texas A&M University. Membership is open to everyone who supports student journalism, objective reporting and civil discourse, including non-journalists and non-Aggies. Former staffers look back to their days at The Battalion as the springboard to their widely varied careers.

Like all publications, The Battalion is facing difficult challenges in increasing costs, deep budgets cuts, dwindling advertising revenue and transitions to the digital age while maintaining its journalistic excellence.The Battalion is currently a national finalist for daily newspaper of the year by two different organizations, as it has been for three of the past five years and was named Newspaper of the Year in 2015-16 by the College Media Association. 

Traditionally, students have been paid small salaries for their work. Currently almost none of the workers are paid.. Many students rely on this income, and if they don’t have it, they may have to find part-time employment elsewhere and are unable to practice their craft and pursue their profession. There is no longer a professional advertising manager, and without that position, the Battalion is now only publishing once a week.

Friends of the Battalion believe we must reverse this trend, and we ask you to join our efforts by making a tax-deductible donation today. 

Our Priorities

Friends of the Battalion includes journalism advocates, Battalion staff alumni, Texas A&M alumni, and other supporters of independent student journalism.  Together, we value the Battalion's role in training Aggies as journalists, providing an independent student voice on campus and creating a culture among students that consumes and values quality journalism. 
With a goal of raising an initial $40,000, our priorities are to: 
  • Pay our 18 editors a small salary, averaging $1,200 per semester or about $75 a week.
  • Pay our 16 non-editors (staff writers, photographers and graphic designers) averaging $750 per semester or about $50 per week
  • Help underwrite the printing cost of The Battalion which averages $1,000 per week, and the Fall issue of Maroon Life, a 4-color magazine costing about $3,500.         
  • Re-establish a small budget for travel expenses for students to cover special news events. The national newspaper awards are at the end of October in Washington D.C. and we would like to help underwrite some of the expense for the nominees to attend.
  • Fund a professional advertising manager to help increase revenues.

Founding Board of Directors

Carol Austin Snowden ‘82
Chairman

Richard Oliver ‘81
Secretary

Angelique Gammon ‘81
Treasurer
 
Kathleen McElroy ‘81 
Board member

Charean Williams ‘86
Board member
Other founders
James & Emily Henkhaus
Sue Owen ‘94
Jay E.S. Greathouse ‘05
Sara Foley Yonker '05

BECOME A 

FOUNDING MEMBER
With a donation of $1,000 or more in our early stages, you can become one of the founding members of Friends of the Battalion. 
SIGN UP
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