Western Oregon University fired a newspaper's adviser after a story ran about the school website releasing sensitive information about a student.
The Student Government Association at Armstrong State University is being sued by the student newspaper after cutting funding and restricting the freedom of the press for the newspaper.
At Brigham Young University, the student newspaper was being chucked into recycling bins after the newspaper ran a story about a rape victim who turned to bulimia.
These stories, along with many others, are common on many campuses. Many lawsuits, funding cuts, and other censorship attempts occur at colleges every year. Many presidents and student presidents do not understand that as long as the college newspaper is reporting the truth, then the newspaper has every right to publish anything it wants.
Although the article did not mention it, it is important to bring up Florida Atlantic University's student newspaper, The University Press. The University Press has had many battles with the SGA. First, they exposed that the SGA increased their wages without informing students. The SGA responded by trying to fire the advisor with a lawsuit and a $5000 fine claiming that he didn't properly choose the editor for the newspaper. Ever since, the newspaper and SGA have been at odds with each other. Recently, the newspaper exposed that the SGA president had been using his blackberry, paid for by the students, to call his girlfriend 99 times in one month. However, the SGA president refused to acknowledge he had used his phone for personal calls and he attempted to censor the newspaper.
The first amendment to the United States Constitution ensures the rights for the press and Congress is given the charge to respect that right. State schools cannot inhibit that right:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
It is of vital importance that colleges allow the college newspaper to have complete like any other newspaper. Some newspapers, like The Independent Alligator, don't recieve any funding from schools so that they don't have to worry about school restrictions. At FCCJ, if President Wallace, or another faculty member, stopped The Campus Voice from publishing a true but disparaging article about corruption amongst the administration, then the school would be breaking the first amendment rights.
That is my rant. What do you guys think?
I think you are totally right yet most people don't care to have their dirty laundry aired out to their peers to see. When a situation as such takes place, alot of childish activities begins to surface.T he situation where the SGA President was calling his girlfriend several times was not something most people would care to read about. News can be interesting to read but their is no need to take it too personal.
ReplyDeleteYou're a very talented writer and this blog was very informative. I did not know the lengths that administrators went through to censor certain topics distributed in papers.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned a rape victim that turned to bulimia after being attacked? My only concern is that people who distribute articles in papers aren't offensive. If the victim gave the okay to report on such a sensitive case then I understand them running it in the school newspaper.
I agree 100% that people should be able to voice their opinions and run articles to expose corruption. Where we have to be careful is when we expose stories that are too sensitive.
I wouldn't want someone interviewing me if I was a rape victim who turned to bulimia. But I do agree that exposing the SGA President who made personal calls to his girlfriend was a great move.
Keep blogging.
That was a very interesting point made. The papers should be allowed to print anything they've gotten permission for. That doesn't mean permission about a scandal, because it is freedom of the press. People should be informed of the bad things that may affect them. Scandals aren't always the best thing to advertise, but if it's used in the right way, it can help out the public in seeing the truth, although some do not want to see it.
ReplyDeleteI believe these people and advisors need to get with the program! Okay so the average college student is between the ages of 18-24, so the average college student is old enough to drink alcohoul, buy cigerettes and go to war. But when a newspaper publishes a "racey" article all hell breaks lose? Sounds like a lot of bologna if I've heard it. Were in college Mr.Whatever and Mrs.Stuckup, not middle school. We can handle it I assure you. And as for the people becoming offended for being directly accused of something they did, it sounds like they are angry for be exposed! It's a tad breezier with your pants doen huh? If you didn't want the world knowing you did something wrong, maybe you should have neglected from doing it. But instead the go and start an uproar! It's freedom or speech people and free of the press! Not it's cool to publish it as long as it makes me look good.
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