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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M President Katherine Banks and university leadership have decided The Battalion will be an online-only media outlet and it will now be under the university, rather than be a student organization.

President Banks said it's all in an effort to move the paper forward, but The Battalion's editor-in-chief, Myranda Campanella, said the newspaper wasn't consulted on the changes and is now being forced to make a decision: get on board or lose your resources.

"I thought that we would have a little bit of collaboration," Campanella said. "Obviously, at that point ,like that was the first time we'd heard of anything. So I mean, it was very shocking, but we thought that we might have the choice. Based on this morning's meeting with Dr. Banks, I'm not really sure if that choice is available anymore."

In an article released by The Battalion Friday, the newspaper reported its leadership was informed of the decision to stop printing on Thursday. The Battalion said it has been a student publication for 129 years, with many former students getting their start in journalism through the newspaper.

Make sure to tune into @KAGSnews tonight to hear from the Editor-in-chief of @TheBattOnline about the ongoing situation with @TAMU 📺 pic.twitter.com/7mcFaQIMH3

"The Battalion in of itself is a print entity, is job experience for our current and prospective students. Taking this away literally creates barriers for our current and prospective students to enter the job market," Campanella said. "Especially at entry-level jobs where most of them are going to local print publications, and they need this experience here at the battalion. In order to do that."

President Banks said in a statement today that she wants the newspaper to concentrate on digital and multimedia because eight out of 10 Americans get their news from smartphones, computers or tablets. 

As a university faculty member, journalist and former student journalist, I wholeheartedly support The Battalion’s efforts to maintain independence and to fight for freedom of the press. I have written President Banks to express my support.

"We see students pick up the physical copy of The Battalion around campus and it's not that we have all of our sacks are still full at the end of the week. Like 70% of our papers are picked up at the end of the week," Campanella said. "They're actually being read, it's not just an archaic piece of history. So it's an important part of A&M's history and for a university so focused on tradition, it's disheartening to see that they want this to go away."

I’d like to make this abundantly clear: The Batt publishes online. The Batt has BEEN publishing online for YEARS. I have given up weekends and Friday nights to make sure that it does. This isn’t about academics, it’s about control. https://t.co/g5eZqReKnd

The Battalion said it has been given the ultimatum that it has to comply with the university, or it will no longer be able to utilize its space on campus and lose its advisor.

A&M's move does bring into question the ethics of journalism and asks the question. Can The Battalion continue to stay objective while under the university's control?

Campanella said The Battalion has reached out to the Student Press Law Center and does not plan on standing down.

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