Some might call it censorship, while others may see it as responsible guidance. In either case, attempts to monitor or edit school publications has often been a source of controversy.
A resolution under review in Western’s Student Senate would grant students and alumni removal or minor alterations to online content in Western publications “in cases where damage to professional reputation can be shown,” according to the resolution.
Student Senate Chair Kendall Bull introduced the resolution after being approached by a student concerned about her words remaining available online. He said the student, who wishes to remain anonymous, felt her appearance in a Western Front story has hindered her ability to get a job.
According to a statement of context from the Senate concerning the resolution, student life is not “real life,” it is “more of a Petri dish or practice run” and so college publications should have a policy of mercy. Bull said he agrees.
“I think there is much more room for experimentation for students within the context of a university than there is in the ‘real world,’” he said.
Bull said shortsighted comments made by freshmen in Western publications could negatively affect those students’ ability to get a job.
“It doesn’t even have to be illegal,” Bull said. “It could be someone’s sexual orientation or something that’s viewed as negative in many parts of the country that would hinder your employment possibilities.”
With the alteration or removal of online news content comes an ethical snag. Peggy Watt, student publications council chair, expressed concern over how the resolution could affect the integrity of the paper.
“Is your publication really going to be a credible source if people can edit behind you?” Watt said. “Is this something that the students of Western want their Senate to do?”
Western Front policy dictates that archived items are not removed, except in cases of severe ethical violations, such as the fabrication of a story. Correction of factual errors or clarification of content is added to the online story, with a notice at the top alerting the reader to the changes made. Other publications practice similar discretion.
According to the newspaper’s policy document, “The Western Front does not change history. If editors thought it was newsworthy enough to run in the paper or online, its value remains.”
Bull said he doesn’t think mistakes of the past should haunt students as they compete in a fierce job market. He said the resolution would help students who were in such a bind.
But according to the Student Publication Charter, which governs many of Western’s publications, the “press must be free of all forms of external interference designed to regulate its content.” By saying that freedom of the press must not be abridged, whether by academic, personal or financial sanctions, the charter directly conflicts with the Senate resolution.
Student Senator Evan Fowler said the Senate needed more information before they could understand the ramifications of such a resolution.
“It is without a doubt in its infancy,” he said. “What we need to do is understand the legality and get some extra opinions before we make any decisions.”
Student Senate Adviser Lisa Rosenberg also stressed that the resolution was “a working draft” and said it will be a few weeks before the Senate actually votes.
“It’s a complex and complicated topic, and the Senate will likely want to continue to do more research on it to make a good, solid decision about what, if anything, to recommend to the AS Board of Directors,” Rosenberg said.
Bull said even if the resolution were passed, it would not have any immediate or concrete consequences.
“The Senate is strictly an advisory body to the AS board of directors,” Bull said. “Nothing we do has any kind of binding measure.”
John Harris, associate professor of journalism and former Western Front adviser, recalled a situation from October 2009 wherein The Western Front reported on the sudden death of anthropology professor Michael A. Grimes. A member of the community, disturbed by the detailed article, demanded that the article be removed from the online edition of the newspaper.
“I advised [the editors] not to take it down and the university supported that, all the way to the top, all the way to the president,” Harris said. “It was really encouraging to see that [Western President Bruce Shepard] would stand up to it the way he did.”
Harris also pointed out that, in a world where information is available at the click of a mouse, there are far more dangerous sources for employers to explore.
“I’m glad there wasn’t Facebook when I was in college,” Harris said. Whereas with any student publication, there is a vetting process that includes multiple editors and a faculty adviser, Facebook is free reign for all types of incriminating information and photographs, he said.
Harris said he, like many students and faculty in the journalism department, is sympathetic to the concerns that sparked this resolution.
“I understand how the students might feel, that they’re young and they’ve made some kind of mistake, but that’s just part of life,” Harris said.
However, this doesn’t give anyone the right to redact the news, Harris said.
“Journalism has always said, ‘We’re not going to bend to censorship, because it opens the door to more censorship,’” Harris said.
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