Collegiate Times

The Collegiate Times is the student newspaper of Virginia Tech and publishes both an online and print edition four times per week during the academic year. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company which does not receive university funds but does generate enough advertising revenue to offer paid writing positions to all of its student staff. The Collegiate Times operates from 365 Squires Student Center and also leases space for its business office on Main Street.

Controversies

The Collegiate Times was once the defendant in an $850,000 libel lawsuit when it was revealed that the October 7, 1995 print edition of the newspaper incorrectly listed the Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs's title as "Director of Butt Licking". Katy Sinclair, the editor responsible, insisted that this was a mistake due to using "dummy copy" and not editing before going to press. Sharon Yeagle, the plaintiff, held that this was a form of libel, as butt licking is considered "moral turpitude" and is illegal under Virginia law. In 1997, the case was eventually dismissed after a judge ruled that "butt licking" was not meant to be taken literally.

In the past several years, many students have been unhappy with the editing work, writing quality, and fact-checking performed by the Collegiate Times. Typos are extremely common at the time of publication, and it is not uncommon to even see typos and misspellings in headlines. Additionally, many students feel that the Collegiate Times offers little quality control on their opinions and editorials sections, often publishing opinion pieces not based on facts, not significantly researched, or lacking controversy.