of the the children are doing well dept
Last week, Indiana University administrators fired the school newspaper (Indiana daily student) advisor and ordered students to stop printing the paper.
The student journalists say university administrators did not like the student newspaper’s decision to increasingly criticize university President Pamela Whitten’s decision to coddle the authoritarian Trump administration, or, at best, stay quiet while the Trump administration and state leaders take direct aim at free speech, the First Amendment, and any curriculum that teaches about racial or gender discrimination.
Enter students in the Purdue student newspaper, The Exponentwho hopped on and traveled two hours from West Lafayette to Bloomington to help Indiana University students deliver a physical document to local students Anyway:
“We have the advantage of being completely independent of the university. We own our own presssaid Kyle Charters, publisher and news advisor for the Exponent. “With our added freedom as an independent student organization, we were more than willing to help.”
“Both of our publications have been in contact with their respective universities this summer and fall,” Charters said. “While we are pretty significant rivals — and while I may not be rooting for their football team tomorrow — we have something in common, and we welcome that camaraderie.”
It’s exactly the kind of resistance and solidarity we don’t see in most major American media, which have generally succumbed to the pressures of authoritarianism through consolidated billionaire ownership:
Earlier this year, Republican state leaders in Indiana passed a sweeping new legislative package aimed at undermining civil rights and free speech protections on college campuses. As usual, this was portrayed as sort of serious efficiency improvementbut like all MAGA attacks on academia, it was really about silencing criticism of right-wing ideology and crushing civil rights reforms.
Indiana University administrators appear to be taking a similar approach to authoritarianism as many in traditional media, academia, and corporate America; namely operating from the belief that if you hide your tail between your legs and bury your head in the sand that this storm will somehow pass you by.
This does not only apply in general not happen, but the destruction of freedom of speech, democracy, justice and academic rigor while you slept is not always something that can be remedied after the storm has passed; something you can ask countless global survivors of authoritarianism about.
Indiana University officials are trying to pretend they have silenced the print edition of the student newspaper simply an act of modernization; but local student journalists and editors from both universities say they have faced relentless pressure to eliminate any criticism of the Trump administration or the cowards who make Trumpism so effective at destroying civil rights, free speech and the rule of law.
Like much of the broader mainstream media, academic administrators want a kind of pseudo-news that is devoid of anything that could upset anyone (think of a Ken Doll with all the important bits sanded down to a smooth lump). A kind of crappy simulacrum of journalism that focuses on “safe” issues that, more importantly, don’t upset right-wing Americans:
“According to an Oct. 7 email obtained by IndyStar, Rodenbush relayed directives from the Media School administration that the IDS print publication should focus solely on a special theme, such as homecoming or fall sports, and “should not include any other news at all, and especially no traditional front-page reporting.”
“Let’s pretend reality doesn’t exist so that no one with wealth or power gets upset” is no way to go through life. Students’ resistance to this is a refreshing act of courage and solidarity. Especially when compared to the broader traditional American journalism industry, which is increasingly being hollowed out by right-wing billionaire zealots looking for a quiet critique of corporate power, billionaires and authoritarians.
Filed Under: freedom of speech, Indiana Daily Student, journalism, media, Purdue Exponent, student newspaper
Companies: Indiana University, Purdue University
#Student #journalists #Indiana #University #Purdue #show #integrity #solidarity #backbone #mainstream #press