The Fed (Columbia newspaper)

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The Federalist Paper, known universally on-campus as The Fed, is a tabloid-sized (as opposed to broadsheet) newspaper published every three weeks at Columbia University in New York City. Founded in 1986 by Neil M. Gorsuch, Andrew Levy and P.T. Waters, the paper has undergone many changes in mission, style, form, and success with relatively few interruptions in production since the publication of its first issues.

Contents 1 History 1.1 1986-1988: All Opinions Welcome 1.2 1988-1992: Conservatism, Inanity, Boredom 1.3 1992-1996: Plurality Blues 1.4 1996-1998: Fast Times At Federalist High 1.5 1999-2004: The Fed Is Not Your Friend 1.6 2004-2006: Back To The Lean Years 1.7 2006-Present: "I Sense Your Paper Is Finally Becoming Decent"[13] 2 Campus Traditions 3 Controversy 4 External links 5 References

[edit] History

The history of The Fed is interesting amongst newer college publications, owing to its many changes over the years that mirror several social changes and upheavals that occured within the Columbia undergraduate body. It predated The Onion, yet, like that paper, adapted many times in attempts to appeal to varying audiences in a post-National Lampoon era. The paper also keeps a surprisingly complete record of its past, which allows curious readers to trace a largely uninterrupted history of college miscelleny and track the news stories that continue to appear in almost cyclical fashion.

[edit] 1986-1988: All Opinions Welcome

The early Fed carried the full "Federalist Paper" masthead and advertised itself as "a newspaper in the tradition of Columbians Hamilton and Jay." The founding members were "a libertarian, a conservative, and a socialist (although no one knows which was which)."^[1] The paper's mission was to create a "classically liberal" forum with content centered primarily on issues and news topics considered "politically delicate" at Columbia, such as race relations, discussions as to Barnard's place in the newly co-ed institution, and whether anyone at the school actually listened to the august WKCR.^[2] Although welcoming articles from all points of view, the tone tended towards conservativism, although elements of the iconoclastic style of humor that would come to define the paper's "golden era" shine through. Even as early as the first few issues, the paper referred to itself as "the Fed" and wrote editorials in an informal, personal style.^[3]

Co-founder and editor-in-chief Neil M. Gorsuch, who won a Truman Scholarship during his undergraduate years, graduated from Columbia College in 1988. Although he went on to further successes, including a JD from Harvard Law and an appointment to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2006, the college paper he helped found began to slide away from his initial goals.

[edit] 1988-1992: Conservatism, Inanity, Boredom

By 1990, The Federalist Paper was already feeling the pinch of low content. Issues from the era display an increasing disregard for layout and copy-editing (a charge, ironically, often levelled at the paper regardless of the format), a decline in advertising from former stalwarts such as Coors and Kaplan, and an editorial board that drew almost exclusively conservative commentators. The board of 1992, after a fierce debate, recommitted itself to the "classically liberal" stance of the founders and began a charge towards diversity of opinions.^[4]

[edit] 1992-1996: Plurality Blues

Despite a re-affirmation of the older mandate, the paper continued to slide. Volume 15's Editor-in-Chief Laurie Marhoefer attributed the decline to the fact that the paper's potential non-conservative audience was lured by the then-progressive Spectator and the socialist-sponsored Modern Times (long-since defunct).^[5] The paper recieved funding from the ultra-conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute, but with it came a certain expectation that a conservative tone would be upheld above all else.^[6]

[edit] 1996-1998: Fast Times At Federalist High

Editor-in-Chief Marc Doussard realized that The Federalist Paper would mark its 10th anniversary in disarray and neglect if nothing changed. But mirroring Columbia's own campaign to upgrade its image, he organized a massive layout overhaul and placed an increased emphasis on local social commentary. The paper's most enduring feature, "They Watch," an uncredited verbal lashing of whatever topics spring to the mind of the publisher, began running on Page 12. Topics ranged from sex to alcoholism to grade inflation. Readership increased dramatically. ^[7]

But success came at a price. The paper's staff became increasingly insular, refusing to recruit members as older staffers graduated, believing itself capable of running on nothing. By Fall 1997, the staff dwindled to two editors, who produced only one mammoth issue. As the spring semester of 1998 opened, their layout computer crashed, taking with it all records and templates. The Federalist Paper was finished. ^[8]

[edit] 1999-2004: The Fed Is Not Your Friend

In the fall of 1998, a few readers of the older Federalist elected to restart the paper, commiting to the same peculiar blend of viewpoints, with a focus on the humor and absurdism that made the more endearing columns of the previous incarnation ("They Watch") so durable. After a few false starts (no one on the staff had any experience in laying out a newspaper, and as such the initial issues were nearly unreadable) and an anonymous donation, The Fed began to produce regular content.^[9]

Unlike the prior incarnation, however, the editors of The Fed recruited heavily and often, with antics like the "Fed Bash" (see below) and their scathing Orientation issues distributed to every incoming student's dorm room providing fresh faces and new ideas. As those that remembered The Federalist Paper graduated and publications like The Onion rose to national prominence, The Fed moved firmly into the "humor" category of publications, with some great initial successes. The 2002 logo, featuring two stick figures in front of Low Library engaging in sodomy labeled as "Columbia" and "You," became a campus staple and is still a popular T-Shirt design. But serious articles about issues such as suicide and fraternity life gave way to winding, rhapsodic accounts of strange events ("Fat Virgin Screws Microsoft," a 2003 headline reads, with the assurance that "This article is 100% true!") and sharp, fictional barbs, often written in the first person.^[10]

But the paper's iconoclastic edge could only last so long. By 2003, The Fed began to gather complaints. The newspaper would always start the year off well enough, readers said, but would degenerate into incoherent rants or cheap jokes worthy of radio shock jocks, not a "subversive newspaper" (as the masthead then read). Its use of "issue topics" to focus humor could result in either hilarious, cohesive issues (19.4, "Home For The Holidays") or downright painful attempts at cohesion (20.8, "Pigs"). But the newspaper soldiered on, in part thanks to a team of fantastic artists and scruffy elder statesmen and stateswomen of the "crazy hipster" cliques that actually travelled off-campus and took chances.

Those chances proved the paper's undoing in February 2004, when The Fed published a cartoon from the ongoing series "Whacky Fun Whitey" entitled "Blacky Fun Whitey." Columbia was already experiencing racial tensions on campus, after the Conservative Club authorized an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" where items were sold at various prices depending on a person's race, gender, or political affiliation.^[11] Many took the cartoon to be demeaning to African-Americans and the concept of Black History Month, and coming after the events of the previous weeks, it was the last straw. Students formed groups calling for immediate action and multicultural awareness, alleging an insidious culture of discrimination was growing from ignorance at Columbia.^[12] Soon, cable news came calling. Editor-in-Chief Kate Sullivan appeared on CNN to apologize for the misunderstandings and defend her publication. The entire editorial board and the artist published a full-page apology in the next issue. But the damage had been done, and to this day, The Fed recieves backhanded references from other campus news outlets, especially the Spectator, as "the racially insensitive student publication." Readership tapered off.

[edit] 2004-2006: Back To The Lean Years

The recruits in the fall of 2004 were the typical eager Orientation-issue readers, but the paper slowly trended towards insularity again, with many deserting for publications such as the Blue and White. Articles drifted aimlessly, and the paper began to cover for a lack of content with its increasingly dated design. Still, several writers persevered, and issues ranging from a fake Spectator for April Fool's Day to Spring 2006's Victorian issue that earned brief attention for an arrestingly weird cover and playful "Choose Your Own Victorian Adventure" feature offered some hope. A focus on 2006's Fed Bash ensured that the party made a significant impact on the campus community, even though many of the attendees simply didn't read the paper any more. Despite a well-meaning staff, the paper seemed dispirited, and recruitment fell away.

[edit] 2006-Present: "I Sense Your Paper Is Finally Becoming Decent"^[13]

The 2006-2007 academic year marks The Fed's 21st anniversary. It opened with a new layout and slowly, non-fiction began to creep in amongst increasingly funnier topical material. Interviews with subjects such as Jon Voight, Al Franken and Steve Wozniak have resulted in surprisingly positive responses. Stand-alone comics such as the "Prez-Bo" also turned heads and attracted a bumper crop of new artists. The humor content, too, has steadily improved, with articles emphasizing topical humor such as the Minuteman debacle and displaying a more concentrated style in general. Readership is still estimated to be lower than the 1999-2001 era, but for the first time seems to be trending upwards. A Fed staffer joked that "for the first time, I don't have to be embarassed about saying I write for this rag."

[edit] Campus Traditions

The Fed is not generally regarded as a social force on Columbia's campus, but it is somewhat known for its spring event, "Fed Bash," where bands from off the beaten trail and performance artists come together for a night of dancing and debauchery.

[edit] Controversy

Beyond the "Blacky Fun Whitey" debacle (see 1999-2004 in the "History" section, above), The Fed recently caused a minor flap for refusing to grant watchdog groups interested in Neil Gorsuch access to its private archives when he was nominated to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Only one article, co-written by Gorsuch, exists in the public Columbia Archives.^[14]

[edit] External links

• The Fed website

[edit] References