This is my final article as editor-in-chief of The Cascade, but I have some really exciting news to share on my way out: as of this issue, our humble independent newspaper will begin paying our contributors $20 for every article you see published in this paper from a current student.
The Cascade, like other student publications, has two groups of people writing the words you find in these pages. On the left of this editorial, you’ll see the masthead, a list of everyone who played a part in this issue. First are our contracted staff, who have specific titles, regular responsibilities, and are paid a set rate every issue. Below that you’ll see our contributors, who can be any student or alumni who submits an article.
In the past, contributing has been voluntary. We provide a chance to have work published, to understand the news media process, and have mentorship from our editors. But to be honest, that isn’t enough. We believe that people should be paid for their labour, and that The Cascade should use our funding (which comes from student fees) to further support the students who help fill these pages.
The other factor in our decision is equity. We understand that writing an article can take a lot of time, and that not every student is in a position to do unpaid work when they have classes, work, and other commitments. We hope that by offering financial compensation, The Cascade will hear from a wider diversity of voices and experiences, which in turn will lead to a stronger newspaper that more accurately reflects the students at UFV and the population of the Fraser Valley.
Speaking on a personal note, I am incredibly proud to have overseen the start of this process. It’s something I first proposed when I was opinion editor years ago, and last semester’s arts editor, Kellyn Kavanagh, put the idea back on our radar this fall. After getting the okay from The Cascade Journalism Board, the body that oversees our work, we’ve spent time this past semester working out the details of how making this change could look. As far as I’m aware, we are the first student newspaper in Canada to pay for all student contributions. That is so cool to me, but I seriously hope we will be far from the last.
If you want all the details on how paying contributors will work, check out ufvcascade.ca/paid-contributions
My time as editor-in-chief has been short, but after over five years at The Cascade, I couldn’t be happier to have had this opportunity. Working here has been at least as educational as my classes, has helped me pay my way through school, and has been where I’ve made the vast majority of my friends at UFV.
Although my time as a UFV student and a part of The Cascade is coming to an end, I’m leaving this paper in some incredibly talented hands, and am thankful to have had this time and experience. Whether you’ve been a co-worker, an interviewee, a reader, or connected in some other way, thank you for supporting our humble paper since 1993.
Jeff was The Cascade's Editor in Chief for the latter half of 2022, having previously served as Digital Media Manager, Culture & Events Editor, and Opinion Editor. One time he held all three of those positions for a month, and he's not sure how he survived that. He started at The Cascade in 2016.
