The Stony Brook Statesman

The Stony Brook Statesman, commonly known as The Statesman, is the official student newspaper of Stony Brook University in New York. Founded in the fall of 1957 as The Sucolian, it began during the university's earlier period as the State University Campus on Long Island, whose abbreviation supplied the original name. The publication adopted the name The Statesman in 1959, with the last issue of The Sucolian dated April 9 and the first issue under the new name dated May 15 of that year. The publication is owned by Statesman Association Inc., a separately organized nonprofit association formed in 1976 and granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. Its newsroom is primarily staffed by Stony Brook undergraduate students. Students have worked in a broad range of roles, including editorial board positions, reporting, multimedia production, social media, web design and other digital operations. This structure makes the publication both a news outlet serving the university community and a training environment for emerging journalists and media professionals. During the 1970s, The Statesman operated at a considerably larger print scale than in later decades, publishing 36-page issues three times a week. For many years, its regular print edition appeared every Monday during the academic year. The publication has also developed a digital presence through its website and online publishing operations, allowing it to continue reporting as student media consumption shifted away from print. The newspaper's financing has relied on advertising together with support from Stony Brook University's Undergraduate Student Government. Financial pressure became especially visible in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Before a major funding reduction, the paper reduced circulation, eliminated a paid advertising staff position and stopped covering writers' travel expenses. In 2010, the Undergraduate Student Government reduced its allocation from $27,000 to $2,500, citing an operating deficit of approximately $24,000 in the preceding year. The cut prompted The Statesman to move from a biweekly publishing schedule to a weekly schedule and to file a protest over the funding decision. The Statesman has reported on university affairs, student life and issues affecting the Stony Brook community. Its role as an independent student publication has also produced tension over access to university officials and information. A 2019 article in The Atlantic described allegations that university administrators during Samuel L. Stanley's presidency had constrained the paper's journalists when they attempted to report on subjects that could reflect negatively on the institution. The reference material also indicates that restrictions on access for student journalists continued afterward. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the publication to stop printing in March 2020, the first interruption to its physical edition since the early period of its existence. In August 2021, the paper announced that it would suspend the print edition indefinitely because of pandemic-related financial constraints and the broader transformation of journalism. Print publication later returned in fall 2022 through monthly special issues, while the website and digital newsroom remained central to the brand's ongoing operation. The Statesman has received recognition from organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists, Newsday and the Society for News Design. Former editors and writers have gone on to careers in journalism and related fields. Its continuing identity combines university reporting, student governance, investigative and community journalism, and hands-on training in print and digital media.

The Statesman was established at Stony Brook University in the fall of 1957 under the name The Sucolian. The original title referred to the State University Campus on Long Island, the institution's earlier name when it was located in Oyster Bay, New York. The newspaper changed its name to The Statesman in 1959; the final issue of The Sucolian was published on April 9, 1959, followed by the first issue of The Statesman on May 15. The publication became a long-running part of campus life and developed a substantial print operation. In the 1970s, it published 36-page issues three times each week. In later decades, its regular print schedule was reduced, but the paper continued to publish during the academic year and maintained a newsroom staffed mainly by undergraduate students. Students have contributed as reporters, editors, multimedia producers, social media staff and web designers, giving the organization both a journalistic and educational function. Statesman Association Inc. was formed in 1976 and received tax-exempt status from the IRS. The association owns the publication, while its operating funds have come from advertising and allocations from the Undergraduate Student Government. This funding model made the newspaper vulnerable to disputes over student-activity financing. In the period leading up to 2010, the paper reduced circulation by 1,000 copies per issue, eliminated a paid staff advertising position and stopped reimbursing writer travel. The Undergraduate Student Government subsequently reduced its annual allocation from $27,000 to $2,500, citing an estimated $24,000 deficit in the preceding year. The paper responded by changing from a biweekly format to a weekly format and submitting a protest against the funding decision. The Statesman has also functioned as a watchdog over university affairs. In 2019, The Atlantic published an account alleging that members of the Stony Brook administration during Samuel L. Stanley's presidency had restricted student journalists' access when they pursued stories that might portray the university negatively. The available reference material says that limitations on access continued beyond that period. These allegations illustrate the recurring tension between a university newspaper's institutional setting and its editorial independence, although the paper is owned by Statesman Association Inc. rather than being described as a university administrative publication. The COVID-19 pandemic produced a major operational break. In March 2020, The Statesman halted its print edition, reportedly for the first time since physical publication began in 1958. On August 22, 2021, the organization announced an indefinite end to print publishing, attributing the decision to financial pressures created by the pandemic and the broader movement of journalism toward digital formats. The publication later restored a limited print presence in fall 2022 through monthly special issues. Across its history, The Statesman has combined campus reporting with opinion, editorial, multimedia and online work. It has received awards or recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists, Newsday and the Society for News Design. Alumni of its editorial and reporting staffs have gone on to careers in journalism. The publication remains based in the third floor of the Stony Brook Student Activities Center on the university's main campus and continues to serve as a student-run news source for the Stony Brook community.

• 2022

  Monthly special print issues resume

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  Print issues returned in a limited monthly-special format beginning in fall 2022.

• 2021

  Regular print edition suspended

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  The publication announced an indefinite suspension of its print edition because of financial and structural pressures affecting journalism.

• 2020

  Print publication pauses during the pandemic

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  The Statesman stopped printing in March as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted university operations.

• 2010

  Student-government funding cut

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  A major reduction in Undergraduate Student Government funding contributed to a change in the publication's schedule and prompted a formal protest.

• 1976

  Statesman Association Inc. formed

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  Statesman Association Inc. was established and received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.

• 1959

  Renamed The Statesman

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  The final issue of The Sucolian appeared on April 9, and the first issue of The Statesman was dated May 15.

• 1957

  Founded as The Sucolian

  [1]The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org

  The student newspaper was established in the fall of 1957 under the title The Sucolian.

An independent, student-run university news organization serving the Stony Brook community through digital journalism, periodic print issues and multimedia coverage.

• Digital news publication

  The Statesman website

  The publication's online outlet provides the principal digital platform for student reporting, campus news, opinion, multimedia work and updates for the Stony Brook community. Its digital operation became increasingly important as print frequency declined and the organization adapted to changing audience habits and the economics of contemporary journalism.

• Student newspaper · 1958

  The Statesman print newspaper

  The print newspaper was historically published during the academic year, including a period in the 1970s when the paper issued large 36-page editions three times weekly. Regular printing paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and was suspended indefinitely in 2021, before returning as monthly special issues in fall 2022.

• Digital media

  Multimedia and social media journalism

  Student staff contribute through multimedia production, social media and web design in addition to conventional reporting and editing. These functions extend the newspaper's campus coverage beyond the printed issue and support its digital publishing model.

• 2019

  Allegations of administrative interference with student journalism

  A report published by The Atlantic alleged that Stony Brook University administrators during Samuel L. Stanley's presidency had restricted access for Statesman journalists pursuing stories that could reflect negatively on the university. The available reference material states that access restrictions continued afterward.

  Source

Read more

• 2021

  Suspend the regular print editionStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic created financial pressure while the wider journalism industry continued shifting toward digital publishing.

  Action taken

  The publication announced on August 22 that it would cease its print edition indefinitely.

  Aftermath

  Print publication later returned in fall 2022 through monthly special issues, while digital publishing remained central.

  Source

• 2010

  Switch from biweekly to weekly publicationStrategy

  Background

  The change followed financial pressure, including reductions in circulation and staff-related costs, and a sharp cut in Undergraduate Student Government support.

  Action taken

  The Statesman moved from a biweekly format to a weekly format and protested the funding decision.

  Aftermath

  The decision reflected the publication's effort to continue operating with substantially less student-government funding.

  Undergraduate Student Government allocation. $27,000 → $2,500 (2010)

  Source

1. 1The Statesman (Stony Brook)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Stony Brook Statesman websitesbstatesman.com