Last Week, the AMS board of directors ed a motion, put forward by current Studio Q business manager Jess Lindal, to change the hiring process for Studio Q’s executive producer. Rather than being elected by Studio Q’s contributors, the executive producer will now be hired by an AMS consisting of the services director responsible for Studio Q, the incoming VP (operations) and a permanent staff member.
The hiring will consult with a member of Studio Q on technical matters. The changes in hiring were sparked by two previous years of acclaimed elections and the difficulties Studio Q had with
maintaining stability and consistency through yearly turnovers as well as their inability to attract new .
When last year’s executive producer and business manager both quit at the beginning of the term, Lindal had to rebuild Studio Q from the ground up. She has now realized that the group requires the intervention of a larger body. Although it seems as if Studio Q had little choice but to seek help from outside of their service, we can’t help but look at this as a blow to editorial autonomy for student journalism and as a sad day for campus media in general.
But the service’s lack of concern for their editorial autonomy at the moment is overshadowed by the fact that they appear unable to turn the service around on their own. It’s an unfortunate last resort, but we can only hope that the AMS influence will give Studio Q the overhaul it needs and will give new executive producers the resources to hire or put themselves out in a way that attracts new student volunteers.
With an external AMS hiring , Studio Q may be able to appeal to a broader audience, although they may find it difficult to regain their autonomy and return to internal elections once they are back on their feet and can appreciate the value of the independence they are now sacrificing. Although they appear out of other options, it’s uncertain whether having the AMS appoint the next producer will change any lack of commitment and direction seen in recent years or will do anything to improve their ability to attract volunteers. If Studio Q is to be seen as a legitimate media outlet on campus they should focus more on providing relevant broadcast journalism to the Queen’s community, which
would require a dramatic shift from their current direction.
Although having an outlet to practice writing, film-making and editing provides valuable experience to students, in its current state, Studio Q would be better as a club or extension of the film department.
Until Studio Q can more clearly define its mandate and become more relevant to students, AMS assistance is useless. The service has the potential to function as so much more than just a series of short skits, but the changes that are required need to come from within. The Journal, for one, would welcome the competition.
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