New copies of The Interrobang. The paper has been Fanshawe's only student paper for over 50 years. (XFM News/Will Bruce)
After 50 years, Fanshawe’s iconic student-run newspaper is being closed by the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU). In operation since the 1960s known as ‘The Dam’, later renamed Interrobang in 1973, the newspaper was run by students and alumni and funded through the FSU, but a recent decision was made by FSU executives to cease operations.
In an interview with XFM News, FSU President Siddharth Singh explained why they made the decision,
“Personally, I also spoke to a couple of students. I also spoke to some of our board of directors regarding the Interrobang. Almost all of them said that they rarely look at the newspaper.”
“We did see at the number of printings that have been done and how many copies are left on the table or on that rack.” said Singh
One of the many pickup points for students to grab a copy of the Interrobang. (XFM News/Will Bruce)
Singh said that was an indication to how the FSU views the engagement of the paper.
Interrobang writer Konstantinos Drossos disagreed with that assessment, saying the paper had broad support.
“I’ve countlessly heard from people as I’ve walked by them like they’ve been looking at the paper, not just here, but Westerners. I’ve been on Western’s campus, and I did see that, you know, compared to the Western newspaper always was, the stock was much lower.”
Drossos also mentioned that Interrobang is more than just a newspaper. It has a multimedia presence, from the website to video stories, to podcasts and more.
“The paper itself is as modern as it can be. If that’s the case, I mean, we have the podcast, we have the physical paper, we have a website. We’ve pretty much reached every type of platform we can as a college paper to meet any type,” said Drossos
FSU President Singh also explained that the choice to shut down Interrobang was not fiscally influenced and instead was due to a change of vision from the FSU.
“We are not planning to save any money through (closing) Interrobang. That was not the purpose. It was about redirecting those resources and reallocating those resources,” said Singh.
Singh said the future objective would be to have some type of media to replace the Interrobang but under the direct umbrella of the FSU name. According to Singh the next steps have not yet been addressed or discussed in any official capacity.
XFM News also spoke with Hannah Theodore, Editor and longtime employee of the paper, who started at the Interrobang 6 years ago. She says the news was very unexpected.
“I didn’t see it coming. There was never kind of any indication that the paper was, you know, something that was even being considered,” said Theodore
Theodore believes that it was not so cut and dry and there were likely multiple factors that influenced the decision.
“It was a combination of both, or at least that’s what I’ve been hearing. There does seem to be an acknowledgment from the FSU executive side, although the financial hit to the FSU is not necessarily as substantial as what the college is facing,” said Theodore.
Theodore is also one of the two full-time workers for the paper, now looking to be without a job. Many other students worked part-time for the paper as well, which provided a place for those interested to focus on their writing skills and write about topics they were interested in. All while staying within the integrity of journalistic standards.
Both Theodore and Drossos say that losing the paper is a loss to not only current students but future students and alumni as well.
“We have people who work in our office who worked on the paper when they were students 30 years ago. You know, we have journalists working in London, Ontario and beyond that started here at the newspaper,” said Theodore
“This paper, as well as been out for over 50 years, like we’re going into a 57th issue as as we speak. The Interrobang gave them an edge to explore different writing styles and read about things they’re passionate about,” said Drossos.
The FSU said that the decision was considered operational and therefore didn’t require any type of student consultation or vote.
Some students are fighting back, launching a petition to save the paper. Volunteers have begun to campaign around the school and get signatures from students looking for signatures to force a referendum on the decision.
Jack Sutton and Briar Wilson set up a table in Forwell Hall to spread the word about the petition to save the Interrobang. (XFM News/Will Bruce)
In order for this to happen, the FSU bylaws state that 10 per cent of the full-time student population must sign the petition, an estimated 2,300 students or more.
These students hope that the pressure of the petition will push the FSU to reconsider and listen to student voices. In the meantime, the final issue of Interrobang is scheduled to be released April 4, 2025.
