Nicole's Editorials

College Freedom of the Press: Where to draw the Line

The freedom of the press has come into question a great deal over this past year. What information can and can't be published in the world of newspapers today? New York Times Reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, Washington Post reporter Dana Priest and most recently USA Today reporter Leslie Cauley have all come under fire because of their "leaks" of national security information. This was and still is big news in the world of journalism, but what about the colleges' freedom of the press?

College, in my view, is supposed to be a place where wild ideas run rampant and free. People may not like everything you say or do, but what would the marketplace of ideas be without dissenting opinions? The college's newspaper is a wonderful place to make your views known to the entire campus, including faculty and alumni. People may not like the views expressed, but such is life.

This was the case at Ocean County College in New Jersey. After more than 35 years as faculty adivser to The Viking News, Karen Bosley's contract was not renewed because of what was written in the paper throughout the year. Her removal is thought to be caused by stories and opinion pieces that were critical of the college's president and administration. Thankfully, the matter was taken to the courts, and the story has a happy ending; Bosley was reinstated.

It still baffles me though how anyone could think that it was ok to censor someone's thoughts or ideas because they didn't like them. This seems to be a fundamental right given to everyone by the constitution. This occurrence also furthers my view that the Supreme Court direly needs to take this issue into consideration. They had their chance already this year, but one can only hope that the court chooses to hear it the next time around.

posted by clevergirl @ 9:27 PM