FLORIDA — One thousand copies of Jacksonville University’sstudent newspaper were discovered missing around 9 a.m. on Nov.2.
The only copies of the Nov. 1 issue of The Navigatornot stolen were the 600 reserved for the administration. The weeklynewspaper was distributed around 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 1, but by thenext morning all the newspaper’s public distribution boxes oncampus were empty.
The Navigator received no threats prior to the theft,and there are no leads as to who is responsible or what the motivationis behind the act, said Editor Trisha Breedlove. The university’spublic safety department is investigating the theft, but was unavailablefor comment.
Even though a police report has not been filed with the citypolice, Breedlove said she plans to file one this week if thedepartment of public safety fails to determine who is responsible.
The university’s administration initially asked Breedlove toallow the campus to handle the investigation internally, but theyare now supporting her decision to file a police report.
Since the entire press run available to the student’s was taken,The Navigator has opted to reprint the Nov. 1 issue. Thisissue will be distributed along with the Nov. 8 issue as a "double-issue." The printing cost for a single issue is $350.
To ensure the newspapers are not stolen, The Navigatorstaff is taking the matter into their own hands. They have arrangedto personally hand out copies of the publication on campus. Breedlovesaid staffers are planning on passing out copies Thursday eveningand throughout the day on Friday.
Visit our Newspaper Theft Forum, featuring a checklist of things to do before, during and after a theft, along with our past coverage of theft incidents.