This post was updated Oct. 30 at 7:50 p.m.
The Indiana Daily Student is under attack by its own university.
In anticipation of Indiana University’s homecoming, its administrators insisted that the Indiana Daily Student could not publish news stories in its homecoming print edition.
The number of print editions for the Indiana Daily Student was already reduced, with those remaining mainly centered around special themes.
On Oct. 14, Indiana’s Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush was fired for refusing to comply with the university’s order.
Hours later, the university cut print entirely for the Indiana Daily Student.
Friday, Oct. 17, Purdue University’s student paper, The Exponent, demonstrated solidarity by printing 3,000 copies of a special edition featuring editorials from the Indiana Daily Student and delivering them to IU’s campus.
Student media is essential to campus communities. Students frequently turn to student publications to stay up-to-date on campus matters, get a glimpse into campus life and feel that their voices are heard about key issues.
The Indiana Daily Student, like the Daily Bruin and all college newspapers, has a special advantage to its coverage: its writers live and breathe that community. Students know what other students need to know. Newspapers are a campus cornerstone, keeping the community informed.
College students must stand in solidarity with IU student media as the Indiana Daily Student faces censorship. An attack on one student newsroom is an attack on all.
Terminating print editions and firing the director of student media also censors a powerful check on university leadership. College newspapers ensure transparency between university operations and students, making sure students are prioritized in decision-making. For instance, The Daily Tar Heel, The Crimson and The Brown Daily Herald have published articles about federal funding cuts to their universities and how they impact students and faculty.
This reporting kept students in the conversation, ensuring that the UCLA administration considered student perspectives in its response to these funding cuts.
IU, which did not respond in time to a request for comment about the cuts to their student media department, has since implemented a task force to “develop recommendations” to ensure the “editorial independence and financial stability” of its student media outlets.
But the university’s administration must do more than just investigate – they must reinstate the full operations of the Indiana Daily Student. It would be an injustice to rob their students of reliable, accessible and digestible campus news.
College newspapers are one of the main forms of accountability for university administrations, covering news that other outlets often overlook. Without the work of student journalists, other students would be gravely unaware of the important news on campus. Funding student media is supporting the free spread of information – a right every student deserves.
Safeguarding student journalism needs to be a priority, especially when journalism has experienced unprecedented suppression on the national level. Just this month, news reporters at the Pentagon were told that their coverage had to be pre-approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moving forward. This comes after outlets such as the Associated Press were banned from the White House press pool.
Writers at the Indiana Daily Student are the next generation of journalists and media professionals, and it is needed now more than ever for these skills to be supported by academia. In a world where individuals increasingly fall victim to misinformation, it is imperative that student journalists gain experience with crafting pieces that are accurate, concise and powerful.
If IU wants to silence their student journalists, it is other students’ responsibility to raise their voices in return. It is imperative that student journalists have a platform through which they can inform their peers and advocate for key issues on campus.
The Exponent’s actions are commendable, and it is time that the greater student media community stands up too. Student-run, independent journalism will not see a gross encroachment on its freedom of the press without a fight.
Student media is an integral part of campus life, and it should be protected rather than restricted.
Standing in solidarity with the Indiana Daily Student is standing up for journalism everywhere.
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