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University Newspaper Figures Out How To Get Around Administration's Censorship Orders
from the +1-for-cleverness dept
There are times when university newspapers come under pressure from university administrations to suppress certain stories. It rarely ends well. NiemanLab points us to a story about how the LaSalle University Collegian cleverly got around one attempt to suppress a story. First, the background. You might have heard the story about the LaSalle University professor who apparently hired strippers who did lapdances for students (and the professor) as a part of a "business seminar." Having attended business school at one point in my life, I don't recall that part of the curriculum.
Anyway, apparently the Collegian had a story about this incident ready to go before all the news broke, but the University ordered them not to publish it while it investigated. Instead, someone else broke the story and it went viral quickly, leaving the Collegian out on a story for which it had the scoop. After that, the paper again wanted to run its original story and again the administration blocked it. Eventually, the Dean of students said it was okay, but only if it ran below the fold (the lower half of the front page, for those not familiar with newspaper lingo). Apparently, this was not the first time the administration had ordered the paper to publish stories that were embarrassing to the school below the fold.
However, this time the paper's editor was ready. Here's what the paper looked like:
Photo by Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel of the Philadelphia Inquirer
If you can't see it, the entire area "above the fold" is blank... other than the text:
Frankly, the administration at LaSalle should be ashamed of itself. It's not teaching these students journalism at all. It's teaching them about a paranoid administration that wants to hide from the truth. This aspect of the story seems a hell of a lot more damaging to LaSalle University than the original story of the strippers. That could have just been one crazy professor. But the systematic censorship of a student newspaper concerning "damaging" content suggests a university that people shouldn't want to be associated with. If an organization is afraid of the press, there's usually a damn good reason why: because they have things to hide.
Anyway, apparently the Collegian had a story about this incident ready to go before all the news broke, but the University ordered them not to publish it while it investigated. Instead, someone else broke the story and it went viral quickly, leaving the Collegian out on a story for which it had the scoop. After that, the paper again wanted to run its original story and again the administration blocked it. Eventually, the Dean of students said it was okay, but only if it ran below the fold (the lower half of the front page, for those not familiar with newspaper lingo). Apparently, this was not the first time the administration had ordered the paper to publish stories that were embarrassing to the school below the fold.
However, this time the paper's editor was ready. Here's what the paper looked like:
Photo by Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel of the Philadelphia Inquirer
See below the foldThe paper also put out an editorial explaining how it's "not a real newspaper," because as a student newspaper controlled by the University, it cannot print whatever it wants. In that editorial, they also admit that they only post their content online a day after the actual paper runs, because University officials wants to make sure that there are no "inaccuracies or 'potentially damaging material.'" The editorial also admits that the paper has no Twitter or Facebook accounts, despite prior promises that they were coming... because the administration "did not feel comfortable with our news stories being distributed through social media."
Frankly, the administration at LaSalle should be ashamed of itself. It's not teaching these students journalism at all. It's teaching them about a paranoid administration that wants to hide from the truth. This aspect of the story seems a hell of a lot more damaging to LaSalle University than the original story of the strippers. That could have just been one crazy professor. But the systematic censorship of a student newspaper concerning "damaging" content suggests a university that people shouldn't want to be associated with. If an organization is afraid of the press, there's usually a damn good reason why: because they have things to hide.
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Wait, what? Realistically, that has to be the most accurate depiction of modern business that I've ever seen done in a school.
It's the newer, more up-to-date curriculum accurately demonstrating the age old practice of taking a client to your local strip club to discuss business contracts and agreements.
If they don't learn it in school, how the hell can they be expected to know how to properly execute these deals in practice?
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This x 1000.
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Journalism 101
I and a few others might point out that this is exactly what happens at every major news organization around the world. That is the reality which we live in.
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National security card
National security!!! Who knows, maybe the university is researching something for the government related to national security.
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Real Life?
On the other hand though, isn't that teaching them about the real world? The students do seem to be getting round some of the road-blocks — if they hadn't, this story wouldn't be here at all...
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So. DOUBLE the embarrassment for LaSalle, two ex-po-zays in one week.
wtg.
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Re:
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Brings back memories
We actually did have a professor who a) showed his all-male class a 16mm breast self-examination film each semester, and b) organized a bus trip to the US Treasury each year... 15 minutes of snapshots on the front steps, then off to the Washington, DC strip clubs.
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Wow!
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Hmm, sounds very similar to the refrains from people happy to take away our rights: "only [guilty people/people breaking the law/people with something to hide/etc] [run from the police/think TSA searches are unreasonable/disagree with the president/etc].
That being said, I think stifling the press from publishing stories like these is "bad thing" and I wonder when people will realize that it will only come back to bite them.
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At my school it was an independent venture.
Likewise, it says a lot that the students put up with this when all the tools they need to create and publish their own paper with no oversight are available, for free.
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What?... WHAT!?!
Now I am positive I need to start teaching business at Uni instead of my boring IT&Law subjects I currently am... Hmmmm no wonder the Business School lecturers look happy all the time!
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Re; Kerry
Citizens should be as opaque as possible to said organisations.
Basics of deomocracy.
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Isn't that the description of Journalism and Politics. Hide from the truth.
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The Stuff
If I puffed some of the stuff they were passing around those parties, I wouldn't remember it either. ;)
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You are so wrong ...
In a world of corporate controlled big news media. This is exactly what they should be learning. How to suppress stories that do not meet the agenda of the people who run the news organization. They should sit back and print the corporate press releases they are given as news, and realize they are no longer journalists they are parrots. That idealistic urge to actually report the news needs to be beaten down and removed for the good of the powerful few ....
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University administration censorship
The Columbia Missourian is delivered every morning to the homes of paid subscribers who include residents who are neither students nor affiliated with the university, which is not the case with The Maneater [insert snarky comment here] free campus newspaper, so named for the school's Tiger mascot.
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Re: National security card
seriously it looks like the school is giving its students and excellent dose of reality, and should be commended for squashing any idealism out of their tiny hearts.
shame on you mike shame.
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So much for open minds and free thought.
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