Although "The Ubyssey" was at arm's length from the Alma Mater Society (AMS), it was still part of and published by the student union while one of its main roles was to report on the AMS's activities. At the same time, the AMS was forced to spend money to fight lawsuits on behalf of a media outlet from which it was continually fending off criticism. This tension emerged in the early 1990s when disputes over editorial control led to the suspension of publication in the summer of 1993, when the AMS created a new "Publications Board" with power over the previously autonomous "Ubyssey" staff collective. The paper's staff eventually decided to work with the new board and resumed publication for the 1993–1994 school year, but its relationship with the AMS executive only deteriorated during this time with the paper vociferously criticizing the student union on a regular basis and attracting accusations of leftist bias.