July 22, 2012

Documents Show U. of Missouri Press Suffered Years of Mixed Signals

Documents Show U. of Missouri Press Suffered Years of Mixed Signals 1

John Darko, The Columbia Daily Tribune

In the wake of the U. of Missouri system's decision to close its university press, a wave of criticism assailed the move, as described in this cartoon from "The Columbia Daily Tribune."

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close Documents Show U. of Missouri Press Suffered Years of Mixed Signals 1

John Darko, The Columbia Daily Tribune

In the wake of the U. of Missouri system's decision to close its university press, a wave of criticism assailed the move, as described in this cartoon from "The Columbia Daily Tribune."

By Peter Monaghan

Late in May, administrators shut down the University of Missouri system's 54-year-old press, citing its continuing inability to close a "growing" deficit. Now, in the face of vehement protests from inside and outside the university, the administrators have rushed to announce their plan for a replacement.

The new press, which will emphasize digital and possibly multimedia publishing, will be directed by a novelist and journal editor with no experience running a publishing house. It