UNBC's student-run media outlets are asking the university's graduate students to kick in an extra $10 per semester, money they say can help them better cover on-campus news.
Graduate students will be voting by e-mail today and tomorrow on a levy question that asks students to grant a $5 levy each to CFUR Radio (88.7 FM) and the Over the Edge newspaper. Although undergraduate students currently pay a similar amount to support the campus radio station and the newspaper, graduate students do not.
Ian Gregg, has worked as the station manager at CFUR for four years. He said the levy would allow the station to better train budding reporters and media makers in the community.
"We currently have a one hour per weekday morning program called Due North. We'd like to have it run for two hours. That would basically be our flagship journalism program," Gregg said.
Gregg said the station currently has a graduate student working part-time as a news director. The funding for this position was the result of a grant, which is due to run out at the end of the school year. Gregg said the levy would allow the station to fund a sustained, part-time staff member to help new reporters and programmers get their feet wet in media production.
"We want to have that platform to train people so that when they want to go on to a professional news organization, they've got the experience, they know how to use the equipment, they know how to present themselves," he said.
"The fumbling and the difficult steps are worked out here. This is a training ground where you can make mistakes. You learn the basics here and start to get your polish and then you can move onto another area."
Local reporters, such as the CBC's Andrew Kurjata and Jordan Tucker, have both been active with CFUR in the past.
Community outreach coordinator Laura Smith said the station also provides an important volunteer outlet for the off-campus community in Prince George.
"CFUR really is that first step for anyone. It was my first step into media. I was really interested in journalism after graduating from high school," Smith said.
Prior to speaking with the Citizen, both Smith and Gregg had just returned from tabling at College Heights Secondary. The station provides volunteer opportunities for high school students.
"It's really cool to be able to give that back to people, especially in high school," she said.
CFUR and Over the Edge staff also said they have provided critical coverage of events at UNBC.
Both Gregg and Over the Edge managing editor-in-chief Sam Wall pointed to their focus on the 2016 discovery of accounting irregularities involving the Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS).
According to a report published in Over the Edge in November of 2016, the irregularities involved funds earmarked for specific services, such as the student health plan and dental plan, being put into a general revenue fund for NUGSS.
"There were issues with how money was being allocated and kept track of," Wall said.
"Their financial difficulties were something we covered more in depth last year."
Both Wall and Gregg said they hoped to provide more focused news reporting on events related to graduate students at UNBC.
Graduate students will have the chance to vote by e-mail on the levy proposal for the remainder of Wednesday and Thursday. Information about the vote can be found here.
