Unfettered freedom of the press is essential to the freedom of citizens, and not just at a local, state or national level.
Colleges and universities, too, must have a free press to have a free student body.
Last week, the Board of Trustees at Clark College (Washington) rejected tenure for a professor despite a unanimous recommendation from a faculty committee.
The journalism professor, Christina Kopinski, was the adviser to the community college’s student newspaper, which criticized campus security and some administrative decisions, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Clark College’s president Robert Knight denied that the tenure rejection was due to her advising, but the questions remain.
Student journalists and their advisers need to live without fear of retribution from university administrators.
Schools that exercise prior restraint over articles are doing a disservice to their students.
Time Magazine reported this week that a recent Princeton study suggests that when a town loses its newspaper, civic engagement drops dramatically.
Voter turnout drops, fewer people run for office, and people care less about the issues.
Other studies have suggested that even the simplest of things, such as going bowling, decline as newspapers fade away.
The Minaret is the primary news source for University of Tampa happenings.
While there are two major newspapers in town, neither the Tampa Tribune nor the St. Petersburg Times has much of an impact on what goes at UT.
The Minaret does.
We are your fellow students, your peers, your classmates, and your watchdogs.
We are the investigators with the duty to question the answers.
There is no slant at The Minaret. There are no biases.
Our writers have no agenda.
To even suggest this is absurd and unwarranted.
A healthy UT depends on a healthy news media.
Progress comes through an informed populace, not through a shadow government of faceless decrees and commands.
We are confident that UT is a better place because of our diligent work.
The Minaret is the strongest source students have to reach out to the larger community.
Our journalists are dedicated, intelligent and hard-working.
Our adviser is experienced in the media world and is devoted to a better Minaret and to producing better journalists.
The key to a free and informed student body is a strong free press.
Instances like Clark College undermine the abilities of students to represent themselves and understand their community.
Students need to stand up for their own rights, and that starts with understanding the need for their freedom.
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