La Rotonde
{{short description|Student newspaper at the University of Ottawa}}
{{for|the restaurant in Paris|Café de la Rotonde}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = La Rotonde
| image = Logo de La Rootnde.png
| image_size = 250px
| type = Weekly student newspaper
| format = Tabloid
| chiefeditor = Mathieu Tovar-Poitras
| generalmanager = Ghassen Athmni
| president = Jean-Philippe Dubé
| foundation = 1932
| language = French
| headquarters = 109 Osgoode Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6S1
| publishing_country = Canada
| circulation = 2,000 (per issue)
| website = {{URL|larotonde.ca}}
}}
La Rotonde is the official French-language student newspaper at the University of Ottawa. It is the oldest French-language student paper outside of Quebec.{{Cite web |last=Prévost |first=Michel |title=Historique - La Rotonde |url=https://www.uottawa.ca/archives/sites/www.uottawa.ca.archives/files/larotonde_1.pdf |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=uottawa.ca}}
The newspaper publishes weekly throughout the fall and winter sessions on regular topics including news, arts and culture, sports, and travel. Previously owned by the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, La Rotonde achieved an independent status on May 1, 2008. A not-for-profit corporation, Les Publications La Rotonde Inc., has been created to manage the newspaper. Its directors are elected by University of Ottawa students during an annual general meeting.{{cite web|url=http://larotonde.ca/administration/ |title=Administration / La Rotonde |publisher=La Rotonde |access-date=2008-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011044721/http://larotonde.ca/administration/ |archive-date=October 11, 2008 }}
While The Fulcrum is the official English-language student newspaper, the two publications are not repetitions of each other and offer unique, and sometimes conflicting, content and opinions.
History
La Rotonde was founded in 1932 by the Société de Débats Français.{{Cite web |title=LaRotonde - 29 Août 2011 {{!}} PDF {{!}} Mouammar Kadhafi {{!}} Libye |url=https://fr.scribd.com/document/63497401/Edition-29-Aout-2011 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Scribd |language=en}}
In the 50s, the paper became increasingly autonomous and challenging of the political order, leading to several conflicts with the university administration. In 1956, La Rotonde was named the most censored newspaper in Canada by the Canadian University Press. In 1958, 3 editors were expelled for writing an article that the administration disliked. Later that year, the paper was shut down, not resuming operations until 1959.
In 1965, student newspaper ownership was transferred to the SFUO. 4 years later, the union merged La Rotonde and the Fulcrum to create a bilingual paper called Id. Id was unsuccessful however, and La Rotonde began publishing again in 1970.
In 1986, the paper was almost shut down after serious financial difficulties.{{Cite web |last=Prévost |first=Michel |date=1992 |title=LES JOURNAUX ÉTUDIANTS DE L'UNIVERSITÉ EN FETE, 60E ANNIVERSAIRE DE LA ROTONDE (1932-1992) |url=https://www.uottawa.ca/archives/sites/www.uottawa.ca.archives/files/journaux.pdf |access-date=28 February 2024 |website=www.uottawa.ca}}
In 1999, the SFUO banned journalists from either of the student papers from entering the SFUO offices, stating a danger of journalists overhearing potentially sensitive information.Kayahara, Matthew. The Soapbox. The Fulcrum. Published 11 February 1999
In January 2002, the SFUO executive censored the publication of the 15th of January issue of La Rotonde. In that issue, the paper was to publish an editorial responding to accusations made by the SFUO's Pride Centre Coordinator.Payton, Laura. Stop the Presses. The Fulcrum. Published 17 January 2002. The SFUO's publishing committee then overturned the executive's decision. This was then appealed to the Student Arbitration Committee, who also ruled in favour of overturning the executive's decision. However, the SFUO's Board of Administration voted to uphold the executive's decision. The BoA, however, debated the issue in-camera, and refused to allow La Rotonde
In 2006, when the paper was still under the control of the SFUO, the editorial board decided to change the way it hired its General Manager. Previously, the General Manager was just chosen by the editorial board, but under the new system, the other staff of the paper would be given a lot more say. However, the SFUO then refused to accept the hiring of Wassim Garzouzi, on the grounds that the SFUO wanted more control over the papers' finances and that the SFUO disapproved of the new hiring system. In reaction to the SFUO's interference, the editorial board wrote a letter demanding more autonomy and collected over 800 signatures for a petition and the News Editor resigned. However, the SFUO's BoA refused to let Garzouzi assume his position.Olender, Michael. Scandals: Top 6 of the past 6 years. The Fulcrum. Published 17 January 2008. Earlier that year, the SFUO was involved in another scandal involving the paper after the SFUO was threatened with a lawsuit following an article the paper had printed. This later led to the SFUO's lawyers telling the SFUO BoA to monitor the paper and to not "support the status quo of allowing [La Rotonde] to print whatever they want."Taylor-Vaisey, Nick. Lawyers, budgets and reform: the October BoA. The Fulcrum. Published 18 October 2007.
In 2013, 80% of the copies of La Rotonde
In October 2016, La Rotonde published an investigative piece into Vet's Tour, a highly sexual pub crawl organised by the Science Students' Association. The investigation revealed that the very secretive event promoted rape culture and abuse of alcohol, with a slogan of "It's not peer pressure, it's just your turn".{{Cite web|url=http://www.larotonde.ca/vets-tour-its-not-peer-pressure-its-just-your-turn-official-translation/|title=Vet's Tour : " It's Not Peer-Pressure, It's Just Your Turn " (Official Translation)|date=21 October 2016}}{{cite web |last=Panico |first=Giacomo |date=2016-10-18 |title=University of Ottawa condemns 'disgraceful' student pub crawl {{!}} CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vets-tour-university-ottawa-pub-crawl-1.3809768 |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=CBC News}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.larotonde.ca/editorial-vaut-mieux-se-fermer-yeule/|title = Vaut-il mieux se fermer la yeule?|date = 31 October 2016}} After publication of the article, the paper's news editor was subject to violent and racist threats.{{Cite web|url=http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/u-of-o-newspaper-editor-receives-backlash-after-expos%C3%A9-on-pub-crawl-1.3122435|title = U of O newspaper editor receives backlash after exposé on pub crawl|date = 19 October 2016}}
In March 2017, several members of the SFUO executive were investigated for having allegedly stolen UPasses, a scandal which was brought to light by La Rotonde. Those members of the SFUO executive attacked the paper for its coverage of the scandal, calling it "biased", "fake news" and said the staff of the paper should work for Donald Trump.{{Cite web|url=http://www.larotonde.ca/editorial-faut-etre-deux-danser-tango/|title = Il faut être deux pour danser le tango|date = 20 March 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://thefulcrum.ca/news/boa-ratifies-2017-sfuo-general-election-results/|title = BOA ratifies 2017 SFUO general election results|date = 14 March 2017}}
A few days laters, those members of the SFUO executive and one incoming member of the SFUO exec stormed La Rotonde
Editorial positions
La Rotonde endorsed the creation of General Assemblies.{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/132197899/25-Mars-2013-Web|title=25 Mars 2013 Web|publisher=}}
Notable alumni
- Patrick Lagacé
- Jason Chiu, Visual Editor for The New York Times
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.larotonde.ca/}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotonde}}
Category:Newspapers published in Ottawa
Category:Student newspapers published in Ontario
Category:French-language newspapers published in Ontario
Category:Weekly newspapers published in Ontario