TODAY, THE Yonsei Annals and the Yonsei Chunchu are shadows of their past selves. For one, its readership has significantly decreased. In a recent poll in 2015, only 22% of students reported having read a student newspaper distributed within the campus, indicative of the diminishing impact of the press in the student society. "We used to wait in line before going to class in hopes to receive the latest copies," said a former Yonsei University alumnus in an interview with the Annals. While diminishing professionalism, changes in student interest, and digitalization can be ascribed to this giant fall, none is more palpable than the university's sharp decline in support of its student press. The story of overnight funding cuts and subsequent decrease in the newspapers' ability to continue its work reflects Yonsei University's lack of support to a historic and important piece of the university.

History of the student press in Yonsei

   Proudly placed above the bookshelves of the Annals is a solid aluminum riot shield. Pried off the hands of riot policemen during the incendiary student democracy movements in the 1970s, the artifact embodies the spirit of the hundreds of newspapers neatly archived beneath it: disseminating the truth in the face of overwhelming odds to foster discussions inside the student community. Supported by a dedicated corps of undergraduate journalists, the two official student-run press agencies of Yonsei University were the face and pride of the university, widely read and supported by its readers.

   Founded as among the first university newspaper and the first to publish English articles in the country, the Yonsei Chunchu and the Yonsei Annals began as a student publication to inform students about school notices. However, its neutral nature quickly changed in the 1970s. During this period, a democratic movement was formed around university campuses against the oppressive and dictatorial rule of President Park Chung-hee. University students from across the country formed ranks inside university classrooms in what was to be called the “Anti-Yushin Protests.”

   This social movement acted as the catalyst for the rise of the student press. Press agencies were strictly censored by the central government, and the Korean National Intelligence Agency (KNIA) received copies of newspapers in advance to write out any dissenting voices against the government. With their proximity to campus protests and on-the-ground knowledge, the student press quickly filled in the void to report on the protests and publish opinion articles by progressive politicians and scholars. "It was like we were in a war," said a former reporter in an interview with Chunchu. "There were regulators from the KNIA in our offices, monitoring what we published," he said. However, the student press at Yonsei University was able to fly under the strict regulations to provide untainted facts and criticisms of the status quo. Many flocked to read the Annals and Chunchu, reporters worked hard at dangerous frontlines to cover the latest stories.

   However, the rise did not last long. As democracy was achieved in the 1990s and large media corporations began to appear, the role of the student press in general sharply declined. Pitted against full-time paid journalists, student reporters of the Annals and Chunchu found it hard to compete in quality and quantity of articles. Readership quickly declined, and student press began to descend into obscurity. However, it continued to report on important university issues from the shadows, analyzing university tuition, student council elections and the Educational Foundation of Yonsei University. The press agencies of Yonsei acted as a key link between student and campus issues that were important to the student community.

Funding changes

   Funding for this active student press at Yonsei University was maintained by a "Chunchu Fee" included in each student's tuition. This was the subscription fee for the two press agencies of Yonsei university. The W3,900 fee increased due to inflation and rising externality costs to become W6,700 in 2016, a meager 0.1 % of the entire tuition fee.

   However, this funding significantly decreased in 2013. The university responded to the Ministry of Science and Education's recommendations to decrease tuition fees by implementing voluntary subscription fees for, among other fees, the "Chunchu Fee" and the "General Student Union Fee." The move came as a complete shock to members of the press agencies. "It was a gloomy day for us," told an Annals alumnus. "We did not know if we would be able to print after the semester," she said. The Chunchu printed a blank first page in protest of the school's financial decision that could result in "oppression of press." The Editor-in-Chief warned that the paper would not be able to publish their newspaper by the end of the month, adding that they were considering reducing personnel and the number of pages to cope with the cuts.

   Overnight, the funding for student press decreased by over 60%. In 2012, the total expenditure for the university press was ₩735 million. Today, it sits at ₩284 million. A key category that has decreased is the Reporting Support Fee, used to pay for expenses incurred by reporters while covering stories. For Annals, it has decreased from ₩l0 million to around ₩2 million. "Amidst schoolwork and reporting assignments ... reporters [often] cover the cost with their own money," states Yang Ha-rim, the former Chief of General Affairs of the Chunchu in her final article for the newspaper. It is a situation where reporters have to shell out parts of their scholarship to do their work.

   To cope with funding crunches, Yonsei's press agencies are looking to other sources of revenue in advertisements. However, the advertisement has also steadily decreased with falling readership. While the Annals raised ₩800 thousand in advertisement revenue in 2010, it was not able to raise any funding in 2020.

The odd one out

   However, Yonsei University's response to the change in law was not a problem at all for student press agencies in other South Korean universities. Most major university press, including the University Press of Seoul National University and The Granite Tower of Korea University, receive direct funds from the university's budget and not from the wider student community. Student reporters are provided funding support for reports and expeditions regardless of contributions and most receive a full scholarship. The school in turn has a say over articles, with a professor in charge of each university newspaper.

   Student reporters from press agencies in Yonsei University are one of the least paid. in a major South Korean university as many other universities provide full-tuition scholarships for their student reporters. It is then surprising that the Yonsei University administration also retains a high level of control over the university press. Both the Annals and Chunchu has a professor in charge of editing the weekly and monthly prints and their approvals are necessary to print any article; an editorial constraint that can and has been criticized for skewing articles to be favorable to the university.

   While these provisions were originally put in place to maintain the quality of the press and help the semester-long Editor-in-Chiefs seek guidance for a successful production, the message is clear: the student press at Yonsei University is an undeniable and important part of the university. However, the funding and support of the university administration do not reflect this view. 

The Future of Yonsei press

   Fundamentally, the school's perception of the student press has to evolve. Student press is not a choice nor is it voluntary. As the only channel that students can voice their input, student press is the quintessential check and balance system for school administration. In order to sustain this relationship, the university needs to change the funding structure of the two student press agencies to include them in their budget.

   Another potential solution is to completely move away from the university. Renowned foreign university press agencies, such as the Harvard Crimson and the Columbia Daily Spectator, minimize association with their respective schools by moving out of campus and not receiving any form of financial assistance from the school. They create their own revenue streams from alumni and advertisement, which allows them to have complete autonomy over its articles and criticisms of the university. Emulating their model would obviously be a challenge for now. Nevertheless, if the school refuses to accommodate recurring requests of student press agencies, it is up to the press to start finding new sources of revenue.

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   Ultimately, the funding problems of the press agencies began when students did not feel the need to read the publications of their student press. If all students voluntarily paid into the “Chunchu Fee” in the first place, it would not have been a problem to begin with. It is also then up to the student-run press at Yonsei University to engage with its readers and to regain the support of the university community and make room for advertisement and independence. Student press still remains an important bridge between Yonsei and the wider world. It stands as an important pillar of free speech and a platform for diverse and important discourse within the student community.

The figure for the university press’s total expenditure and Annals Reporting Support Fee has been amended on May 10th, 2021. The previous version incorrectly stated the Annals’ total expenditure, not the entire university press. Also, the Reporting Support Fee was characterized as representative of the university press when it was just the Annals.