Red and Black Editors Back on Job

The top two editors at The Red and Black, the independent student-run newspaper at the University of Georgia, are back on the job, according to a joint statement Monday, Aug. 20.

Editor-in-Chief Polina Marinova and Managing Editor Julia Carpenter have been reinstated and will bring back the other staff members who joined them in last week's walkout. The dispute came over the editors' concerns about control of the paper's editorial operation.

"We look forward to the editors and their staff resuming production of one of the nation’s top student news organizations," the statement said. "We want to be clear that students have editorial control over the contents of our publications with no prior review."

Gwinnett newsletter publisher Elliott Brack, chairman of the newspaper's board of directors and Norcross resident, was among those who issued Monday's statement by the board and the editors.

Last week the board issued an apology to the editors "for the deep misunderstandings" that occurred. A draft memo by a board member and some recent non-student staff additions caused the student editors to become concerned about their roles.

Also last week, Ed Stamper of Norcross, who issued the draft memo, resigned from the board.

"We also assert our continued confidence in Publisher Harry Montevideo and the professional staff he has assembled. We added to that staff recently to improve the learning experience we offer our student journalists," Monday's statement said.

The Red and Black has been independent of the university since 1980. Its board of directors has no official connection to the university.

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