The fate of McGill University’s only French-language newspaper, The offense, is in the hands of the students. A referendum must decide whether or not to maintain the contribution which ensures its survival, and the fear that the newspaper will be forced to cease its operations is strong.
“If the students vote a non-majority vote, that will mean the end of our operations,” launches the editor-in-chief, Gabrielle Genest.
A referendum is being held from November 14 to 18 and asks students to decide on the renewal of the individual contribution of $6 which is used to finance both The offense and its English counterpart, the McGill Dailythrough the Daily Publications Company (SPD).
“Over the past few years, advertising revenue for student newspapers has plummeted. More than 80% of our income comes from student contributions”, underlines the editor-in-chief. 20% of university students are French-speaking, she recalls, and the newspaper has existed for 45 years.
A referendum is held every five years on the subject and, unlike that of 2017, there is no campaign in favor of the no. But that does not reassure the editor-in-chief, because of the “indifference” and “apathy” of the student body.
“The problem is student participation, it’s recurrent,” says Gabrielle Genest. I think the main issue is that students may not be aware of what it means to vote no. It would mean the loss of two independent newspapers on a campus that doesn’t have that many, and the only French-speaking one”.
Rafael Miró, former journalist of the Offense having passed through The Press and Radio-Canada, and who is currently in France to complete a master’s degree, has decided to campaign to sound the alarm and encourage students to vote in favor of maintaining the membership fee.
“When I was at Le Délit, a large number of people told me to my face that we were useless, that we should close and that it was strange that there was a French-language student newspaper at McGill, he worries. As we are perceived as useless, there are people who systematically vote to shut us down”.
According to him, students who no longer want to pay dues for student newspapers are more mobilized than those who are in favour. Hence the importance of publicizing this issue, he believes.