Indiana University is currently under fire after it ordered its student-run newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student (IDS), to stop printing new editions and fired the school's director of student media.
Now, students at the school are criticizing the administration's latest efforts, calling them censorship. The order to stop printing of new editions came a few hours after the school's director of student media, Jim Rodenbush, was terminated.
Indiana University Under Fire for Student Paper Censorship
The editors argued that Indiana University and the media school "previously directed the IDS to stop printing news coverage in our newspaper." They added that they were only allowed to use the special editions, which were traditionally included as inserts in their paper.
They said that the school telling them what they can and cannot print is "unlawful censorship." This was something that the Student Press Law Center agreed with, as it told the university to reverse its decision, according to The Guardian.
The situation comes as in the last few weeks, there had been several disagreements between university leadership, IDS editors, and Rodenbush. These were over what content could appear in the print paper.
During a meeting on Sept. 25, Rodenbush said that if the school is telling students what they can't put in the paper on campus, that is the definition of censorship. He also said that Indiana University had previously announced plans to reduce the paper's print frequency from weekly to seven per semester.
The university explained the change by saying that they simply wanted to focus on "special" print editions, which they believe would be more profitable. Rodenbush was allegedly fired because the school believed he was not supporting their plans, was not leading effectively, and could not be trusted to represent the university's interests, Straight Arrow News reported.
Interfering With Editorial Judgment
In response to the criticisms, Indiana University Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold said that they are firmly committed to free expression and editorial independence of student media. He said that the school has not and will not interfere with their editorial judgment.
ISD editor Andrew Miller said that the decision to fire Rodenbush was a deliberate scare tactic toward student journalists and faculty. He added that their resistance is about maintaining their editorial independence and not about the print itself.
The editor added that Indiana University had no legal right to dictate what they can and cannot print in their paper. He argued that school officials should focus their time on working on financial stability instead, as per Fox59.
