Indiana University fires director amid student paper censorship controversy
Indiana University Bloomington terminated its director of student media, Jim Rodenbush, who oversaw the university’s print newspaper, The Indiana Daily Student, according to a letter from the editors published on the paper’s website. The decision comes after increasing conflict between the university administration and the student newspaper about what was allowed to be published in the print version.
“IU and The Media School had previously directed the IDS to stop printing news coverage in our newspaper,” the editors’ letter states. “Only the special editions, traditionally included as inserts in our paper. Telling us what we can and cannot print is unlawful censorship.”
Rodenbush confirmed to NBC News that he was fired on Tuesday. Just hours after he was fired, Indiana University told the Indiana Daily Student to stop all print publication of the newspaper.
Concerns over editorial control and print reduction
Rodenbush told NBC that Indiana University decided last spring to reduce how often the student newspaper would be printed from once a week to just seven times per semester. He said the university explained this change by saying they wanted to focus on “special” print editions, which they believed would be more profitable.
This fall semester, Rodenbush said IU told him they did not want news stories in the print version. The stories would still be published on the newspaper’s website.
Rodenbush said he received a termination letter from the university stating that they fired him because they believed he wasn’t supporting their plans, wasn’t leading effectively and couldn’t be trusted to represent the university’s interests.
University and legal responses
IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold responded to the university’s decision in a statement published in the letter from the editors.
“Indiana University Bloomington is firmly committed to the free expression and editorial independence of student media,” Reingold said. “The university has not and will not interfere with their editorial judgment.”
“In support of the Media School and implementation of their Action Plan, the campus is completing the shift from print to digital effective this week,” he continued. “To be clear, the campus’ decision concerns the medium of distribution, not editorial content. All editorial decisions have and will continue to rest solely with the leadership of IDS and all IU student media. We uphold the right of student journalists to pursue stories freely and without interference.”
The Student Press Law Center responded to the controversy on X, condemning IU Media School for firing Rodenbush.
“If the abrupt ousting of the student media director was related to his refusal to participate in such censorship, the message is clear: IU no longer welcomes a free student press. The Media School must reverse course immediately, before more damage is done to its reputation and to its students’ rights,” Jonathan Gaston-Falk, a staff attorney with the Student Press Law Center, said in a statement.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
