Update 3:14 p.m.

Dunn said he was pleased with the memorandum and looks forward to working on the matter with the board.

“I think it’s a good resolution to this issue that obviously has had a lot of passion and enthusiasm connected to it,” he said. “We were glad to have the opportunity to kind of speak to the board’s thinking about its oversight of the DE, if you will, and help moving forward on a business model as well as the support that obviously has come from elected officials to this point as they watched the process unfold.”

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He said there is still some work to do, as the board wants more information regarding the operations of the Daily Egyptian, including looking at more cost-cutting measures and advertising prices. Dunn added that Freivogel will be forming a “swat team” of outside industry professionals to assess some of these issues.

As per the memorandum, Dunn said he hopes to have the executive board act on the fee within the next month to six weeks.

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Original Story

Members of the Illinois General Assembly along with President Randy Dunn and Board of Trustees Chairman Randal Thomas signed a memorandum of understanding Friday regarding the future of the Daily Egyptian.

The memorandum states the Daily Egyptian is an important publication. The signatories vowed to accept research regarding the $9 student media fee proposed to the board at the May 8 meeting and propose the fee no later than July 1.

Signatories include Dunn and Thomas as well as State Reps. Brandon Phelps and Mike Bost and State Sens. Gary Forby, Bill Haine and David Luechtefeld.

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Faculty Managing Editor Eric Fidler said he was incredibly happy with the news.

“It’s a big step towards putting us on the right track to financial stability,” he said. “I’m awed by all the support we’ve received.”

School of Journalism Director Bill Freivogel released this statement Friday:

“The memorandum of understanding, when implemented by the board, will provide a firm foundation for the Daily Egyptian to plan its long-term future.

I’m grateful to Dr. Dunn and Chairman Thomas, to the state legislators who supported the DE, to the incredible DE alums who made their voices heard and to the DE Staff who has handled the story so professionally.

I was able to provide Dr. Dunn this past Monday with the detailed history of how a score of industry leaders vetted the $9 fee. I appreciate that he has looked at that research and its support for the $9 amount.

I want to assure Dr. Dunn, the board, the administration and the students who have supported the DE that we will not use the fee as a crutch. We will continue to consult with industry leaders and involved DE alums to find new revenue sources and ways of cutting costs. The fee gives us the stability to plan the DE’s second century.

Finally, I appreciate president’s, board’s and legislators’ recognition of the importance of a healthy DE to the School of Journalism and the broader university.”

Dunn and other signatories of the memorandum could not immediately be reached for comment.