Students Fight For Freedom of The Press

At Several U.S. Colleges Student Newspapers Are Waging Battles

Mar 13, 2009 Jon Pike

College newspapers across the United States are waging battles against administrators over what they see as abridgments of freedom of the press.

The struggle between campus publications and college administrators continues. Several cases this year show how the idea of freedom of the press is playing out on college campuses. Among the cases are a struggle between an official campus newspaper and its administrators, an independent student newspaper and college administrators, and a proposed policy at a junior college

Chicago State and the University of Oregon: Different but Similar Cases

The editor of the Chicago State University newspaper, the Tempo has filed suit against campus administrators. The suit charges the administration with illegally censoring the newspaper. The suit was filed after the paper published an article about potential misuse of funds. The suit says that the university tried to stifle the paper with threat of budget cuts and has called for an adviser’s reinstatement . The university then put in a new adviser who suspended publication of the paper after students wanted to publish an article about the university’s low graduation rates. The editor says that the adviser said there was not enough original content in the paper.

The Oregon Daily Emerald is officially an independent 501 ( c ) (3) is independent of the college and was using a chain of command in which the editor reported to a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors hired a publisher whom which the editor was supposed to report, replacing a general manager position which had no authority over content. The paper does get some money and use of facilities from the campus. The university president also appoints some of the board members. Staff members of the paper went on strike over this issue. The strike has been settled pending further discussions between the newspaper staff and the board of directors.

Proposed Policy for College of DuPage

A proposed policy change at the community college, the College of DuPage in a suburban Chicago county would put the president of the college in charge of content of the student newspaper. Currently, students work with an adviser, such as at many colleges and universities. This change is part of a complex overhaul of the college by a new board of trustees. The proposed rule changes were met by students who showed up at a trustees’ meeting with tape over their mouths.

Many student newspapers are seen as laboratory experiences in journalism. At these colleges, and in other cases students are learning that part of that experience is the fight for freedom of the press.

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