Report

Introduction: Legacy

More than a century after Ernie Pyle left Indiana University, his presence still anchors the entrance to Franklin Hall. Pyle, a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent and former editor-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student (IDS), remains a powerful reminder of what student journalism at its best can produce: not only skilled storytellers, but public servants whose work informs and connects communities.

Today, IU Student Media continues that tradition across the IDS, IU Student Television (IUSTV), and WIUX, the student-run radio station. Each year, hundreds of students participate in these organizations, producing journalism, entertainment, and cultural programming that serve both the university and the broader Bloomington community.

This task force was convened to address a specific challenge: how to ensure that IU Student Media remains both editorially independent and sustainable in a period of significant change, without creating financial or legal risks for the institutions that host Student Media. The charge was to provide a credible roadmap that can be refined and implemented by The Media School and the university.

The Value and Impact of IU Student Media

IU Student Media serves as both an experiential learning laboratory and a public service institution. Each semester, WIUX engages roughly 250 students, while IUSTV and the IDS each involve approximately 200 students, reflecting participation that extends well beyond the current annual enrollment of journalism majors.

Student Media’s audience reach remains substantial. Between August 2025 and March 2026, the IDS alone recorded at least 5 million pageviews, with some 1.4 million visitors. These metrics demonstrate both continued relevance and shifting audience behavior, amid shrinking print audiences and growing digital connectivity.

Student Media also continues to earn more than 100 national and state awards annually, while alumni have gone on to leadership roles across major organizations, including CNN, NBC, ESPN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Community engagement is central to this work, including public town halls, live-streamed campus events, and WIUX’s Culture Shock festival. Innovation is also evident, most notably in IDS sales of a Big Ten Championship commemorative poster.

A Framework for Student Media Governance Structure

This framework emphasizes budget accountability and collaborative planning. The recommendation is for a new umbrella structure that strengthens IU Student Media’s role as a learning lab and a trusted source of quality journalism operating with editorial independence in keeping with longstanding church–and–state models.

The governance discussions focused on three areas:

• Establishing a governing policy defining vision, roles, and expectations
• Creating a Student Media Center to house current and future operations
• Defining administrative authority, processes, and review for editorial standards and sustainable business operations

This builds on work led by Student Media representatives on the task force.

Governing Policy

A new governing policy should clearly establish vision, goals, and values, with all stakeholders (Indiana University, The Media School, Student Media, and any other future participants) committing to:

• Upholding student editorial independence around content decisions
• Ensuring viability as a learning lab and public service, strengthening connections to The Media School curriculum and teaching
• Defining roles and responsibilities across content creation and business stakeholders
• Adhering to existing policy provisions

The IDS charter would remain intact; other Student Media organizations are encouraged to create their own, in keeping with their platforms and content needs.

Governing Organization

We specifically did not outline a “converged” media organization but one that incorporates the current individual brands into one entity. How Student Media brands are linked in the future, or what resources and operations they share, is a strategic decision that should flow out of planning and analysis about how best to achieve goals outlined in the proposed new policy.

The current organizational status of each individual Student Media operation (whether an auxiliary, University Student Organization, a model similar to the Michael I. Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism, etc.) may be changed in time, depending on need and to ensure that no platform is disadvantaged, even as shifting audience needs might drive resource prioritization. They simply would become part of the umbrella organization.

It is unclear at this time what legal or organizational structure should be employed in establishing a Student Media governing organization. The Media School is in the best position to research these options. However, our group thought the Arnolt Center’s structure offered an advantageous model.

Authority and Review

• The director of Student Media (or another position to be designated by The Media School’s dean) would guide the organization, acting as its publisher or executive.
  • In this role, the director seeks input from relevant stakeholders in creating a cohesive strategy, operating plan, and budget. This includes advisors who bring expertise to each Student Media organization.
  • This position may report directly to the dean or to someone else at the dean’s discretion.
  • The director position has a detailed job description with performance goals that are clearly communicated and regularly reviewed.
    
    
• A Student Media Advisory Board should be established by consensus of the dean, the director of public media, the director of student media, and the journalism unit and program directors or their successor positions, to review and advise on the strategic and operating plans and, over time, come to serve as the primary entity for tasks currently distributed across several existing advisory groups.
  • This advisory board, consisting of 9–11 members, could include the dean of The Media School and be composed of a mix of practicing media professionals, university faculty, including the director of student media, and others. Initially, we recommend composing the advisory board only of members with media expertise. This might include one at-large representative who could be a university administrator, or the director of public media, three faculty members, and five media professionals reflecting content and disciplines that track to the existing Student Media organizations. Later, this advisory board also could include a representative from the Bloomington community, given that Student Media is a major source of news and information beyond the university.
  • The advisory board’s composition should include significant representation from outside the university, including alumni, with journalism, media, and related business skills and experiences that match the identities of the Student Media organizations.
  • The advisory board should consult with the journalism program director or its successor position on establishing a group of faculty and alumni tasked with helping ensure learnings that emerge in the production of Student Media, as well as industry developments are fed into an ongoing curricular development and review process.
  • The governance workstream discussed ideas about composition, length of terms, etc. Student leaders offered ideas about composition of this advisory board and a future governance policy as part of our discussions, and these can be offered during any future implementation process.
    
    
• The director of student media would present the plan to the advisory board for input and be responsible for managing course corrections if goals are not being met.
  • Disagreements over any subsequent, significant changes to the plan proposed by The Media School or university administrators should undergo advisory board consultation. Similarly, The Media School or university administrators can bring any concerns to the advisory board for discussion.
  • The governance subcommittee discussed how the process would work and created an illustration for the school.
  • The task force strongly recommends that the advisory board explore the creation of a role for a public editor or ombudsman—akin to the public editor role at many news organizations. This person should be selected by the advisory board and could, for example, be a faculty member or an external expert. The task force recommends that the advisory board consult with IU’s incoming Poynter Chair Kelly McBride, who currently serves as public editor for National Public Radio, on establishing such a structure or role for IU Student Media.

Sustainability

Student Media faces industry-wide challenges of declining audiences and revenue that raise legitimate concerns about viability, but also a significant opportunity for The Media School to become a leader on the future of media economics. With its diverse portfolio, IU Student Media is uniquely positioned to serve as a testing ground for new revenue models and product innovation.

The goal here is not preserving legacy platforms, but sustaining a broader ecosystem of learning, innovation, and public service across journalism, business, and media careers for students at The Media School.

Trends over the past three years show declining ad revenue, especially for the IDS, where special editions generate revenue even as there are signs their value is also weakening. A university commitment to annual ad spending in the IDS could be a win-win, centered on campaigns aimed at students, the community, and alumni across existing and proposed print and digital offerings.

At the same time, philanthropy—from both small and large donations, along with the recent IDS poster sales generating at least $200,000—demonstrate strong potential. Revenue streams are less vibrant at WIUX and IUSTV, but both show growth in donations. WIUX sees potential in reviving its on-air business support program, which was suspended when it moved into The Media School. All three could benefit from a more unified revenue approach centered on multimedia offerings that leverage their content repositories.

There is some breathing room and thus time to commit to these new ideas. After years of running a deficit, the IDS is projected to end this fiscal year without one, thanks to donations, cost savings, and new revenue.

The task force recommends developing accessible products, such as a paid weekly newsletter, to generate recurring subscription revenue and provide student learning opportunities around multimedia curation, email platforms, sponsorship, marketing, and digital subscriptions.

Audience Challenges

• IDS: Print circulation ~9,000; digital ~300,000 monthly users, 96% outside its print distribution area
• WIUX: Limited FM reach; smaller digital audience (~93% non-local)
• IUSTV: Declining traditional viewership; growing YouTube presence

Revenue Challenges

• Advertising is declining overall and print still generates the lion’s share of revenue
• IDS profits from special issues but there are long-term viability risks
• WIUX is reviving underwriting (~$10,000 annually projected)
• IUSTV has no significant sponsorship or ad revenue, which is a near-term opportunity if resourced

Industry Trends

• Print and TV advertising declines are widespread across the board, particularly among newspapers and magazines and linear and cable TV
• Student media audiences are shrinking nationally while individual contributors reach audiences via Substack, YouTube, and Spotify
• Radio remains viable but limited by reach

Philanthropy and Innovation

• We see green shoots in donor support and grant opportunities
• Strong alumni base offers major giving potential
• Foundations and partnerships including reporting initiatives in underserved and rural communities provide funding avenues
• Innovation efforts (ecommerce, events) thrive on structured support

Financial Position

• IDS will likely break even this fiscal year reversing earlier projections of a ~$150,000 deficit
• Gains are being primarily driven by donations, unique football-related revenue, and some cost savings
• Sustainability requires addressing staffing and long-term revenue variability

Short-Term: Achieve Profitability for IDS

1. Maintain $550,000+ Annual Revenue

• $425,000 from operations, $100,000 giving, $35,000 tuition revenue
• Expand shared revenue teams across Student Media outlets
• Increase advertising capacity and donor development

2. Reduce Annual Costs in 2026

• Current costs: ~$825,000 (staff, student wages, printing)
• Form a working group (students + staff) to identify efficiencies and develop a plan by the end of this year, starting with an evaluation of a potential reduction in current minimum print runs while balancing advertising rate-card requirements.
• Explore more efficient staffing models and shared resources to evaluate total spending on student compensation, while preserving First Amendment protections that come from paying journalism students under Indiana Shield Law, and pursuing equitable models across media organizations

Long-Term: Innovation Center

Key elements:

• Focus on new audience strategies and platforms
• Align with existing and emerging multimedia academic programs in The Media School and leverage Kelley School of Business
• Funded through donations, grants, or fees
• Clear success metrics for continuation
• Governed by a mixed student/professional review group
• Tests theories of interest to industry, creating new career and internship pathways
• Could grow into a program for alumni visiting fellows to participate in incubator projects and share their professional experiences
• Potential to establish a media consortium with annual symposium that creates a funding source for the center, buy-in from industry leaders, and internship and career paths
  
  

Fundraising

Four funds support Student Media through the IU Foundation:

• Indiana Daily Student Legacy Fund
• WIUX Radio Fund
• IU Student Television Fund
• IUB Student Media Fund

Created in 2023 to accommodate a planned gift for a “newsroom of the future,” the IUB Student Media Fund provides flexible, general support across Student Media operations.

All four funds are structured as “quasi-endowments,” meaning they can remain fully expendable or be invested in the Pooled Long-Term Fund to function as true endowments—preserving principal and using earnings to support operations. Targeted alumni and donor lists are generated for each organization to support focused outreach.

Vision: Sustainable, Converged Student Media Ecosystem

Our goal is to build a sustainable, converged Student Media ecosystem that prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving media landscape while preserving the independence, excellence, and experiential learning that define Student Media at IU. By a converged system we mean one where student output and best practices are shared, rather than one where all parts of the organization operate under a single brand.

To remain competitive and relevant, our Student Media operations must reflect a multiplatform, collaborative model — an integrated ecosystem rather than three separate entities competing for limited resources.

Fundraising Priorities

The task force recommends a multi-pronged approach to build sustainable, long-term financial support:

1.  Endowed Student Media Center (long-term priority)

The goal is to secure a naming gift to establish an endowed, converged Student Media Center. A minimum $5 million gift would give permanent funding for leadership and core operations. This approach is in line with an increase in nonprofit and philanthropy-supported models in the industry.

Endowed Student Media Center: $5 million

• Endowed Director: $3 million (generates approximately $135,000 annually to support salary/benefits)
• Operating Endowment: $2 million. This generates $90,000 annually to support general operations (student wages, travel, equipment, etc.)

2. Multi-Donor IUB Student Media Fund as primary vehicle for planned giving

The IUB Student Media Fund should serve as the primary vehicle for planned gifts supporting converged Student Media. Because it is structured as a quasi-endowment, it can evolve into a long-term endowment supporting Student Media in perpetuity. This flexibility makes it especially attractive for donors interested in sustaining innovation and the future of journalism.

Goal: Grow to a $2 million endowment (generating $90,000 annually for general operations)

3. Strengthen and Leverage Existing Funds (annual giving)

The IDS, WIUX, and IUSTV funds will continue to receive annual donor support. As these funds grow, they may function as endowments, with earnings supporting organization-specific priorities such as student wages, travel, and equipment. These funds remain important entry points for alumni who feel a strong affiliation with a specific outlet.

Goal: Raise $100,000 annually (combined)

Communications & Advancement Strategy

A coordinated communications strategy is essential to achieving these fundraising goals.

The task force’s recommendations are a clear step toward shifting the narrative from crisis to resilience—positioning philanthropy as an investment in excellence and sustainability, not a rescue effort.

Objectives:

• Strengthen reputation and visibility
• Advance fundraising priorities
• Deepen alumni and donor engagement

Core Messages:

• Excellence in journalism – awards, audience reach, national recognition.
• Student impact – transformative hands-on experiences and career outcomes.
• Innovation – cross-platform storytelling, evolving newsroom models.
• Sustainability – long-term investment in independent student journalism.

Tactics:

• Annual Student Media impact report
• Quarterly alumni and donor newsletters
• Alumni spotlight and “Where Are They Now?” series
• Student journalist profiles and project features
• Coordinated social media amplification of awards and achievements
• Donor stewardship materials (personalized updates, student thank you videos, etc.)

Key Findings

• Student Media is mission-critical to IU
• Experiential outcomes are exceptional, nationally competitive
• Governance lacks unified structure
• Financial challenges reflect industry trends
• Philanthropy and innovation show momentum
• IU is positioned to lead future media models

Key Recommendations

1. Establish Unified Governance

Appoint director of student media with clear authority and accountability; implement formal governing policy with clear vision, roles, and responsibilities across stakeholders; create centralized Student Media organization that maintains brand independence with shared strategy, planning, and resource allocation; form advisory board with strong external representation to ensure transparency, independence and strategic oversight.

2. Preserve and Protect Editorial Independence

Editorial independence must be codified within governance documents. Structural and financial decisions must reinforce student-led work and journalistic integrity.

3. Achieve Financial Stability in Legacy Operations

Disciplined revenue and cost management must allow for break-even/profitability, by maintaining baseline of diversified revenue streams, including advertising, annual giving, and academic-related funding. Student leaders participate in budget planning as a central learning experience where cost efficiencies are identified but learning is not sacrificed. Cross-platform revenue strategies should be explored across IDS, IUSTV, and WIUX.

4. Expand Philanthropy and Long-Term Funding

Prioritize development of $5 million endowed Student Media Center to provide permanent operational support, while IUB Student Media Fund grows into major endowment supporting innovation and cross-platform initiatives. Annual giving pipelines and alumni engagement should be strengthened across all Student Media organizations.

5. Invest in Innovation Through Student Media Startup Strategy

The Media School should establish Innovation Fund to support 3–5 student-led experimental media projects annually, with a focus on scalable, audience-driven products such as newsletters, podcasts, and digital franchises. Initiatives must define clear success metrics related to audience growth and sustainability and be aligned with academic programs.

6. Strengthen Audience Development and Distribution

Growth can be achieved by prioritizing reaching audiences across digital, social, and emerging platforms, expanding efforts to engage alumni and broader communities beyond Bloomington. Newsletters can help create recurring engagement and revenue opportunities.

7. Collaborate across Campus and Community, Build Trust, Embrace Transparency

Media School leadership must strive to increase coordination between Student Media, the school, Indiana Public Media, and external partners, leveraging shared expertise and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, including with partners across campus. A new joint master’s program with the Kelley School of Business, IU’s new Washington program, new global media degree run with Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and relationship with IU’s Center for Rural Engagement show potential for growth. Recent grant from Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County to establish Indiana Newsroom shows The Media School is well positioned to lead the future of collegiate, community journalism. Trust-building measures should include meetings between Student Media and campus leaders, a school-supported public editor role and an annual calendar of Student Media town halls.

Does IU assume legal liability for IDS due to its funding and auxiliary status?

Bottom line:

There is no meaningful legal precedent indicating that IU would be held liable for IDS content so long as the publication maintains editorial independence. In fact, increasing administrative control would heighten—not reduce—legal risk.

1. Liability follows control, not funding.

Courts consistently evaluate who exercises editorial authority. Universities that fund but do not control Student Media are generally not treated as publishers.

2. Seventh Circuit precedent supports independence.

Hosty v. Carter confirms that universities may exert control in some circumstances—but doing so risks transforming Student Media into institutional speech, increasing liability exposure.

3. Auxiliary status does not equal institutional speech.

IU’s classification of IDS as an auxiliary unit does not legally convert student journalism into university speech.

4. Indiana Shield Law is not a liability shield for IU.

The law protects journalists’ sources, not institutions from defamation or tort claims. The reason we pay IDS journalists is to make sure they are covered under Indiana Shield Law, providing additional protection for everyone involved in student journalism, including IU.

5. National practice aligns with independence.

Major public universities fund student newspapers while preserving editorial independence specifically to reduce liability risk.

Recommendation:

IU should:

• Affirm IDS as a designated public forum
• Maintain strict editorial independence
• Avoid prior review or content control
• Use clear disclaimers clarifying IDS is not the voice of the university

Conclusion:

The safest legal position for Indiana University is not increased control—but clear, documented independence of Student Media.

This memorandum combines general First Amendment doctrine, Seventh Circuit precedent, and Indiana-specific considerations.

Key Authorities:

• Hosty v. Carter, 412 F.3d 731 (7th Cir. 2005)
• Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988)
• Indiana Shield Law, Ind. Code § 34-46-4-1

Core Legal Principle:

Liability is tied to editorial control. Where students control content, universities are not treated as publishers.

Findings:

• No strong precedent exists holding universities liable for independent student newspaper content.
• Funding and auxiliary status do not create liability.
• Exercising editorial control increases legal exposure.

IU-Specific Application:

IDS can remain within The Media School and auxiliary structure while maintaining independence without increasing risk.

Conclusion:
Editorial independence is the legally safer structure for IU.

Exploring alternative nonprofit organizational models such as 501(c)(3)

The task force recommends that The Media School and IU explore the establishment of a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure for Student Media encompassing student newspaper, radio, and television activities. (The IDS operates as an affiliated/auxiliary unit, while IUSTV and WIUX are University Student Organizations.) Transitioning to a nonprofit model could offer opportunities to enhance fundraising flexibility, expand donor engagement, and strengthen long-term financial sustainability, while preserving the educational and journalistic mission of Student Media, through a board-level relationship with The Media School. In addition to large-scale entities such as the Indiana University Foundation, there is precedent within the IU ecosystem for more focused, mission-driven affiliated nonprofits and supporting organizations — such as the Indiana University Student Foundation and research- or program-specific entities — demonstrating that smaller, purpose-built structures can coexist alongside the university to advance targeted initiatives.

However, the task force emphasizes that such a transition would require careful and deliberate evaluation. Establishing a 501(c)(3) entity involves a complex legal, financial, and governance process, including considerations related to organizational independence, oversight, asset transfer, tax compliance, and alignment with university policies and state regulations. This effort would require dedicated time and resources from the university, as well as close coordination among legal, financial, and administrative stakeholders. Accordingly, the task force recommends a structured feasibility assessment, if so desired by the university, to fully understand the implications, costs, and benefits before any decision is made regarding the feasibility of such an entity.

Student Media administration

Definitions

A strategic plan is a roadmap by which the organization outlines how it will achieve the vision and goals outlined in the governing policy. It aligns all aspects of the organization and tracks progress. An operating plan is a detailed, shorter-term outline of specific actions (staffing, production, resource allocation, etc.) needed to realize the strategic plan and includes an overall agreed-to budget.

• Both plans would be developed within the Student Media organization as this is part of the learning lab for the students. The director of student media would oversee their development, with input from stakeholders and then present them for review
• Each Student Media organization likely will have its own strategic and operational component reflecting differences in goals, audience, and resources. Each can and should feed into the broad overall plan for Student Media at IU.
• Once these plans are developed, they would be presented to the proposed advisory board for feedback.
• The advisory board should be consulted on course corrections, especially around any changes to the strategic plan, while being a go-to resource on how to manage any operating plan issues that are deemed relevant by the director of student media.

Here’s an example:

While decisions about publishing platforms hold major implications for the newsroom and editorial leadership of the brands, other participants involved in revenue generation, product development and audience development should also play a role in platform choices and implementation.

• Content creation—what is produced to fulfill the mission, meet audience needs and develop student media skills resides in the editorial realm. It should be informed by the overall strategy but decisions regarding what content to publish remain the prerogative of the editor/content officer.
• Production of special sections or programs targeted at key audiences with the primary mission of generating additional revenue should conform with the overall missions, values, and audience goals of the student media brand with clear labeling of non-journalistic (advertorial) content.
• Student Media editors/content officers should continue receiving guidance from Media School staff advisors as they have for years on best practices, ethics and editorial standards.
  
  

Task Force Members

Elaine Monaghan, IU professor of practice of journalism; journalism program director; co-chair

Raju Narisetti, MA’91, partner and global leader, McKinsey Publishing; Dean’s Council for Student Media member; co-chair

Mike Arnold, IU executive director of integrated public media and interim director of student media; sustainability co-chair

Beth Cate, IU clinical associate professor of law and public affairs

Joseph Coleman, IU Louis A. Weil Jr. Endowed Chair in Journalism; professor of practice

Anthony Fargo, IU associate professor of journalism

Ben French, BAJ’98, IDS editor-in-chief ’97; CNN senior vice president for new business; sustainability co-chair

Thomas French, BAJ’80, IDS editor-in-chief’80; IU Riley Endowed Chair in Journalism; professor of practice

Johnathan Gustin, student, WIUX station manager

Emily Harrison, BAJ’01, major gifts officer, Indiana Public Media; fundraising co-chair

Michael J. Hayes, BA’88; president of Hearst Television; Dean’s Council for Student Media member; governance co-chair

Brendan Healey, partner, Baron Harris Healey

Katie Higgins, assistant dean of finance, The Media School

Mia Hilkowitz, student, Indiana Daily Student co-editor-in-chief

Gerould Kern, BA’71, former senior vice president and editor, Chicago Tribune; Dean’s Council for Student Media member; governance co-chair

Kristen Desmond Lefevre, BAJ’97, editor-in-chief of Jupiter Magazine and Stuart Magazine; Media School Alumni Board member

Greg Menkedick, BA’03 Fine Arts: Graphic Design, advertising director, IDS

Katie Mettler, BAJ’14, reporter, The Washington Post

Andrew Miller, student, Indiana Daily Student co-editor-in-chief

Laynie Pitts, student, IU Student Television executive director/producer

Curt Simic, IU Foundation president emeritus; fundraising co-chair

Ruth Witmer, BAJ’86, editorial advisor, Indiana Daily Student