Alexandra Nicolas of The Chart has a just-posted article which details the actions taken by Derek Skaggs, director of enrollment services, who refused to allow the Chart, MSSU's campus newspaper to be displayed at the school's career fair Thursday because of "inappropriate" content.
This "inappropriate" contact wasn't a picture of a naked woman, or intimate details of a drunken party or illicit drug use. Though banning the newspaper for that type of material might be understandable, it would still be a First Amendment violation. No, the crime the Chart committed was far more despicable in Skaggs' eyes...the newspaper featured a page-one article about Southern's drop in enrollment, something, of course, which might embarrass the easily-offended Skaggs:
Well we're out there trying to recruit students and I didn't think it was appropriate to have a newspaper that's talking about the decline in our enrollment," Skaggs said.
University President Bruce Speck said that he would need more information to fully comment, but that college newspapers should have "wide latitude" in what they cover and how they are distributed.
Now I am beginning to understand the recently-announced draconian cuts in the university's international program. It appears instead of allowing students to learn the culture and values of other countries, Southern needs to spend more money to teach its officials the culture and values of our own.
What makes this even more ironic is his wife is a former journalist. Congrats Derek, if I was a potential journalism student there is now no way I would go to MSSU knowing that the administration does not support its students' rights.
ReplyDeleteSummary: Skaggs doesn't do his job. Skaggs doesn't want people to know he doesn't do his job. Skaggs does something stupid to keep people from knowing he doesn't do his job. Now even more people know he doesn't do his job.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with the Weekender?
ReplyDeleteWhat is a shame is that none of the Joplin stations have any information about it on their website. If I were in charge at one of the stations I would definitely be on this story.
ReplyDeleteNot only would they like to shush the chart, but they ditched an outspoken student rep too. It's all in a weeks work at MSSU.
ReplyDeletehttp://media.www.thechartonline.com/media/storage/paper630/news/2008/10/10/News/Love-To.Join.Board.Of.Governors-3482163.shtml
Didn't Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier establish that school administrators have the authority to step in when school newspapers publish stories of which they do not approve? Dean v Utica brought up the public forum issue, but I don't think that case got to the U.S. Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteLooks to me like this is a school policy issue. Not a First Amendment issue.
Man, Ron. You are out of date. Hazelwood dealt with HS papers, not college papers.
ReplyDeleteThe most important decision trying to extend Hazelwood's reach was Hosty v. Carter. It only applied to the 7th circuit but did extend Hazelwood to college campuses. Kind of.
The court said that a court confronted with an act of student newspaper censorship by a college official must first determine if the publication was a "designated public forum" where students had been given the authority to make the content decisions.
Since then, numerous states have passed anti-Hosty laws protecting student journalists and advisers.
For instance, in California:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law Sunday that protects high school and college teachers, in addition to all other school employees, from being retaliated against because of student speech.
Senate Bill 1370 was introduced by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo. Yee, a leading First Amendment advocate among legislators in the country, has been responsible for laws in favor of open government and student journalism protection including:
A.B. 775: Requires public meetings of the University of California Regents for all discussions and compensation packages.
A.B. 2581: Amended the California Education Code in response to Hosty v. Carter, which granted rights to college administrators to have prior review at their student-run mediums not designated as public forums in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. A.B. 2581 extended prohibiting censorship from high school to college student journalists, making California the first state to respond to Hosty and starting a trend among some states to pass similar legislation.
S.B. 190: Higher Education Governance Accountability Act, brought transparency reforms to the governing bodies of the University of California and California State University. (Student Press Law Center)
Hazelwood is so 80s. Bet you still wear a Members Only jacked and use Drakkar Noir.
Ah, thanks for the update, T.R.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm showing my age, and my familiarity with the Hazelwood case since I got to know some of the students involved while I was at college.
I had heard some states reacted to the decision with legislation, but didn't know how any of that reaction affected college campuses or policies here, formally or otherwise.
While these situations are painful, and extremely frustrating to free speech zealots like ourselves, I hope the end result is an improvement in awareness and policy.
And my wife threw out both my Drakkar Noir and my Members Only jacket years ago. The jacket was gray and yes, it was bitchin'