It’s possible that the University of Wyoming’s journalism program could be the latest casualty in a series of statewide budget cuts.

According to an Oct. 27 press release from the university, UW’s administration released a plan to cut $42.3 million from their budget that they’ll present to the Board of Trustees. Included in the plan is the “potential reorganization, consolidation, reduction or discontinuance” of 20 “low-enrollment academic programs.” The Bachelor of Science in journalism stands to be eliminated, as do other valuable programs.

I’m not an alumnus of this program, but I understand what is on the line here: journalism in Wyoming as a whole.

Full disclosure, I was not a journalism major or minor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia (who does not have an established journalism program), but I learned everything I know and am writing right now because of my journalism professors and the experience gained from working at my student newspaper.

The Branding Iron, UW’s student paper, is not technically on the chopping block here, but it’s hard to imagine it staying in print if there are no journalism professors or students. 

You may be wondering why it matters if there’s no student newspaper or journalism program at UW. It’s true, there are other routes into journalism, like a political science or English major, but from my own experience, professors who know the field and a training ground like a student paper are vital for graduating prepared to report the news.

Besides preparing students for the real world, a student newspaper holds university administration accountable like a professional paper often cannot. Student journalists are able to report on their campuses better than anyone else. I’ve seen evidence of this on my own campus, where reporters’ stories and curiosity enacted crucial change. 

At The Telegram, we report on Eastern Wyoming College to the best of our abilities, but we can’t have someone on campus 24/7, which is where a student newspaper would fill in the gaps. 

Some of Wyoming’s community colleges have journalism programs, but typically only associate’s degrees. From there, many of these students continue on to UW in Laramie, which currently has the state’s only four year degree program in journalism.

Wyoming news organizations stand to lose something from this. If publications or stations want to hire new reporters, they will increasingly have to hire from out of state. 

Of course, this isn’t the worst revelation, considering that’s how I came here.

Still, it’s always valuable to bring someone on who is familiar with the community they’re covering right away. Small communities in Wyoming have a lot of nuances that I’m still working to understand. 

Also, just imagine how much UW’s administration could do without the watchful eye of student reporters observing at all times. 

The plan is still in preliminary steps, but it would be wise of the Wyoming Press Association and other advocates of the free press to speak their mind on the matter before the Board of Trustees. 

The world, and Wyoming, needs dedicated reporters, now more than ever.