Last week, Indiana University (IU) administrators and the Media School Dean David Tolchinsky fired Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush. Rodenbush’s termination followed his refusal to abide by IU’s demands: stop publishing news and cease print publication.
The day after Rodenbush’s dismissal, the university prohibited the students from printing their planned edition of The Indiana Daily Student, instead directing them to publish only online going forward.
The university claims that the shift to publishing online is attributed to The Indiana Daily Student’s financial deficit, as they receive some of their funding from the institution. However, staff were told they would only be allowed to publish up to seven editions a semester (as long as they contained special guides as inserts,) an already steep shift for what used to be a weekly publication.
The ability for any student to see and access the paper on the campus is essential for distributing its ideas. A forced reduction in visibility, especially when done immediately following direct orders to control editorial content to the advisor, is censorship and should be referred to as such.
The IDS has a history spanning over 158 years of strong editorial independence. This is what enables them, along with other student papers, to hold university administrators and those in power accountable.
The decision made by the IU administration to censor The Indiana Daily Student reflects a dangerous pattern of censorship spreading across the country. It signifies a precipice where journalism totters over a sea of censorship, and any publication, large or small, old or new, is at risk of falling.
Free press is a founding principle of the United States. Student journalism is the incubator for the nation’s press future. Holding an axe over student newspapers not only prevents the growth of future reporters but also undermines the core of the First Amendment, which guarantees all people the right to free speech. The censorship of The Indiana Daily Student is one example of a much larger trend, yet it targets a crucial population of journalists that need support, not strangulation.
Further, widespread change has historically begun on college and university campuses across the country. Student publications are often driving forces in these discussions, providing a voice that is rarely included in more mainstream outlets. Under an administration that has repeatedly silenced and attacked critical voices, it is no surprise that student journalists have become targets.
At The Spectator, we view the restrictions imposed on The Indiana Daily Student as a threat that extends to all student journalists. If any sort of administration is allowed to believe their power extends beyond the boundaries set by the Constitution of our country, all that can follow is a chaotic release of unchecked power. Just as legacy media stands between the government and the rights of people, student media stands between our universities and the rights of students. Journalism is a web of accountability.
There isn’t a more critical time for student journalism. We are no longer just the “future” of this nation. We’re the present now. The Spectator stands with The Indiana Daily Student and condemns the actions of IU’s administration.
Civil liberties, like freedom of speech, don’t just disappear in one day. They get chipped away, eroded one little isolated incident at a time, right in front of our noses. Treating each threat to our freedoms, no matter how small or distant, as worth fighting for is the only way to ensure that our voices survive.
Silencing just one voice can open the door for further censorship. The actions of the IU administration must be condemned, or else they will be repeated and expanded.
