Editor’s note, Dec. 4, 2012: Since this article was originally published, The Flyer News editors have reported an additional 225 stolen papers, bringing the total to 575 papers. The additional papers were stolen from two academic buildings on campus; approximately 75 were recovered from the trash.
Copies of the twice-weekly University of Dayton newspaper were distributed around campus at about 11 a.m. Thursday. That evening, Will Garbe noticed an empty newspaper box and then found about 300 papers in a nearby trash can.
Police were notified and are investigating, Garbe said. About 30 other newspapers were found together in a trash can in the library as well.
Garbe said the paper’s editors aren’t sure what prompted the theft. The issue contained a story about a fraternity on interim suspension that is being investigated following an off-campus event, he said. There was also a column prodding administrators to be more supportive of alternative energy on campus.
Almost all of the papers were able to be salvaged, Garbe said.
The university police will be reviewing the video camera’s footage around the distribution to find out what happened, said Teri Rizvi, a spokeswoman for the school.
Garbe said he met with the school’s vice president of student development, William Fischer, who was concerned about the incident and supportive of finding a resolution.
“What I think is upsetting about this is … it takes away from our advertisers who have paid to have their content in our paper,” Garbe said. “It takes away university funds because we’re supported approximately two-thirds by our university and it takes away the hard work of our staff and my boss, the editor-in-chief.”
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance.”
This is the 26th student newspaper theft reported to the Student Press Law Center this year.
By Bailey McGowan, SPLC staff writer. Contact McGowan by email or at (703) 807-1904 ext. 127.