Censorship of student media

Challenges of student journalism

To understand the nature of censorship to student media, it is necessary to understand the challenges of producing student news outlets. The diverse functions of student journalism make their production a complex tasks that carry a series of challenges.

One of these challenges is their reliance on university funding.

Usually, the university pays for the publishing or transmission of the news outlets, provides the newsroom and the technology and in some in cases gives salary to students. The owner of a news outlet will always have certain control over its content, the same  thing may happen with the administration and the student news outlet.

The conflicting roles of being a journalist and a student are defined in this thesis as the dichotomy of student journalists.

Students have to cope with their academic and their journalism duties. Both are equally demanding. The student won´t be able to be alert of the news all the time like a corporate reporter.

Students also have conduct obligations, often stipulated in university codes and policies. These can affect their journalism duties, too.

They also have to deal with their social expectations. They are expected to be obedient, respectful to authorities and mentors and adopt the traditions and values of the university. If a student journalist publishes or presents opinions or information that contradicts those values, he or she will be considered disrespectful or rebellious.

Student journalists learn to be journalists while doing journalism. Their lack of experience will often lead to mistakes. The amateur of student journalists is often used as a justification for censoring or controlling their media. Although this measure is never justifiable, students must be aware of the responsibility of being journalists even in a small community like the university.

These challenges lead to the greatest obstacle of student journalism: censorship.

General Concept of Censorship

In general terms, censorship can be defined as the restriction or prohibition of information access and dissemination of ideas. Censors justify their actions as containment measures, to assure social and moral order. However, the true motive of censorship is to preserve the status quo, which is convenient to those in power (White, 1997).

Censorship to information is one of the most common. Censors don’t actually fear information but its dissemination. This is why the press has been target of censorship ever since its origin (Copeland, 2006).

In many countries, censorship to the press is a common practice and the rest has come up with more subtle methods to stop the spread of inconvenient information such as economic boycotts or biased agenda settings.

Despite the situation of their country in regard to press freedom, student journalists can demand freedom of press in their universities because censoring speech or information on campus betrays the core value of universities: the pursuit of knowledge.

If your news outlet is not affiliated to a university, you can still demand freedom of press if your country is a member of the U.N. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Read other international laws on press freedom here.

Universities as marketplaces of ideas

Universities should allow any form of speech and expression because only this way their members will obtain knew knowledge.  This concept can be related to Milton’s marketplace of ideas. In the market place of ideas, all viewpoints are confronted and in the end Truth wins over falsity, therefore, censorship is unnecessary (Read Aeropagitica, 1644).

Universities are considered quintessential marketplaces of ideas (Euben, 2008).

The worst contradiction to this concept is the establishment of speech codes on campus. These codes are usually created to ban “offensive,” or “discriminatory” expressions. However, these adjectives are so vague that they end up censoring any speech or information that is inconvenient to authorities (FIRE, 2009).

These codes have no place in universities. One of the first tasks of university student journalists is to detect these codes and challenge them because as long as they exist, their news outlets are more vulnerable to censorship (FIRE, 2009). For more information on speech codes in U.S. universities go to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s website.

Forms of direct censorship*

The most common acts of censorship to student press are (as cited in Kanigel, 2006):

• Demanding prior approval of content
• Confiscating newspapers
• Restricting distribution of papers
• Cutting funding on the basis of content (this includes suspending scholarships or financial aid).
• Disciplining editors or advisers for the content of the paper

Other methods include:

• Ordering students to leave the newsroom or office.
• Ransaking the newsroom or office as a form of intimidation.
• Ordering students to grant certain space of the news outlet to content chosen by the Student Government or the university administration. This is not the same as having advertising or announcements space.

The most effective result of these methods is self censorship. Students would not publish or present truthful information or good arguments to a discussion because they are fearful of the consequences.

*If your news outlet is produced and distributed outside a university, just imagine these measures done by the government.

Forms of indirect censorship

To avoid critisism or legal action, censors usually use indirect measures to control the content of a news outlet.
The most common forms of indirect censorship are:

• Ordering faculty and staff not to give interviews to the student news outlet
• Disciplining members of the university community for having copies of the student news outlet and confiscating those copies.
• Firing or suspending a member of the university community for giving information to the student news outlet.
• Ordering the publications deparment not to print the student news outlet or ordering the department in charge of uploading their website or transmitting their radio show not to do so.
• Ordering the head of the department that sponsors the student news outlet to revise its content before it’s printed or transmited.
• Having a member of the Public Relations or press department during interviews between student reporters and members of the university community. The prescence of the PR or press department will intimidate the sources. This is not the same as a press conference.

Student journalists can prevent and stop censorship. This information will help them detecting signs of censorship:

What to do before, during and after censorship

You can also learn from student press censorship cases from around the world.

Author’s note: This information was taken from my thesis on student journalism. If you want a copy, send me a request via e-mail or post a comment. You can see the references in this page.