COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Dec. 11, 2023, 3 p.m. CT) Halfway to the 2023 Giving goal, donations made to Friends of the Battalion will make it possible to budget a small salary for The Battalion staff reporters and photographers beginning in the Spring 2024 semester, said Spencer O'Daniel, associate director of Student Media. 

"We have more needs to meet, but this $5,800 in donations so far gives us a small budget to pay spring reporters, photographers, and designers – not just The Battalion editors – and that will be huge in recruiting and retaining staffers throughout the spring semester," O'Daniel said.

ANY DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE

From $20 to $200, every contribution makes a difference. Year-end, tax-deductible donations via Paypal or credit card can be made at FriendsOfTheBattalion.org.

Anyone online shopping for the holidays can use Santa's Helpers Student Media Amazon Wish List – from $8.99 to $179.95 – any purchase from this list means more budget to pay student journalists, explained O'Daniel.

The challenge of paying The Battalion staff is far from over, noted Spencer.

Student Media only receives $21,500 from A&M University Authorized Funds each school year. 

This is tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands of dollars – less than UT, Rice, and Baylor. 

For example, Texas Student Media receives around $400,000 per year, and the University of Texas at Arlington receives nearly $700,000 per year.

STILL TIME FOR YEAR-END TAX DONATIONS

Friends of the Battalion was launched in 2019 by a small group of former Battalion staff who saw a need to help close the Student Media Funding gap. 

From creating strategic partnerships with advertisers and other Student Media, to sponsoring the first Battalion tailgate on Sept. 2, Friends of The Battalion’s goal is to be able to pay the reporters, editors, photographers and content producers a small stipend for their work as is customary at major universities. 

"I made $5 an issue as a part-time reporter, and even that small sum made it possible for me to work at The Batt instead of at Cow Hop," recalls Angelique Copeland Gammon. "Without that, I would never have been able to work my up, and I know that was true for a lot of us. It's still true. Student reporter salaries matter for college journalists to devote time to reporting and covering Texas A&M and the community."

For at least five years, only staff editors have been paid a small salary. Writers and photographers have only been paid by the story, and only AFTER publication.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

See how The Battalion under new advisor Spencer O'Daniel is beginning to recover financially and growing. 

• Browse TheBatt.com and Subscribe to free The Battalion newsletters: Headlines, Life&Arts and Sports. 
• Listen to The Battalion podcasts The Batt Signal and Home Turf
• Check out Maroon Life Fashion 2023 and Fall 2023 Housing Guide magazines
• Or just flip through the Dec. 5, 2023 latest issue

And if you can, please consider adding The Battalion Amazon Wish List or a year-end, tax deductible donation as the countdown to 2024 continues!

ANY DONATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Tax-deductible donations via Paypal or credit card can be made at FriendsOfTheBattalion.org.

Check out The Battalion's Student Media Amazon Wish List 

From everyone at The Battalion, Student Media and Friends of The Battalion, 

Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful holiday and Happy 2024!