A decision to print The Pirate Press with a Jefferson City publisher rather than the Boonville Daily News did not stem from the BDN’s coverage of issues surrounding the student paper last fall, Boonville R-1 School District officials said this week.
Principal Jeff Brackman of Boonville High School said he and journalism teacher Abby Courtney made the decision to go with Jefferson City-based Central Missouri Newspapers based on interest from students in printing each page in full color. The school will publish two fewer issues in order to print in full color.
The BDN had a decades-long relationship with the district that included helping print the student publication and inserting it in the daily paper. That stopped in fall 2009 after a series of stories on district officials’ management of The Pirate Press generated national coverage and negative attention toward both the BDN and the school district.
Asked if past issues had played a role in the district’s choice, Superintendent Mark Ficken said “absolutely not.”
Want to read more? Grab a copy of the Boonville Daily News e-edition after 3 p.m. today.
