A lawyer with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of Press, who's representing the co-editors of the Indiana Daily Student, sent a sharply worded letter to IU administrators accusing them of violating the students' First Amendment rights.
The Media School last week fired its director of student media and abruptly shut down the print edition of the IDS. The director, Jim Rodenbush, said he was fired because he wouldn't prevent the IDS from publishing news in its few remaining print editions instead of following special themes. The theme in the latest print edition was homecoming.
IU's moves created national news and accusations of censorship.
"I write to you in response to these actions, which are ill-advised, unconstitutional, and appear to be aimed at suppressing core press and speech rights," the lawyer, Kristopher L. Cundiff, wrote.
The letter seeks a meeting with administrators "to discuss a path forward that will restore our clients' editorial independence."
IU chancellor David A. Reingold addressed the issue Tuesday at a meeting of the statewide IU Faculty Council on zoom.
Reingold said the IDS "has full control of its editorial content."
He added, "We do, however, have an obligation to ensure the financial sustainability of student media while honoring their editorial independence."
Reingold referenced "long, longstanding university subsidies for the IDS." He also said the Media School must prepare students for modern digital journalism.
While not addressing Reingold's comments Tuesday, Cundiff reacted to similar comments he made previously.
"Even if IU were somehow driven by financial concerns, that would not entitle administrators to control the IDS's journalistic decisions," the letter said. "Telling student journalists what they can and cannot include in a newspaper is censorship of 'editorial content' by any definition. Further, the wholesale elimination of print — which might be considered mere management of 'medium of distribution' under other circumstances — under the current facts becomes a tacit declaration from IU that if the IDS will not print specific University-approved content, it can print nothing at all."
The letter is addressed to "the Administration and Stakeholders of Indiana University and The Media School." It was sent to IU president Pamela Whitten, Reingold, Media School dean David Tolchinsky and associate dean Galen Clavio.
Another person who received the letter is Michael Arnold, who started recently as IU's executive director of integrated public media. The new position oversees the IDS and other student media.
Arnold is also in charge of WTIU/WFIU, which is part of the Media School. WTIU/WFIU News has editorial independence while operating on IU's campus.
Tolchinsky on Monday announced a new task force aimed at ensuring the editorial independence and financial sustainability of student media, including the Indiana Daily Student, IUSTV, and WIUX.
But students remained skeptical.
The Task Force on the Editorial Independence and Financial Sustainability of the Indiana Daily Student/Student Media will include faculty, staff, students, and alumni. According to Tolchinsky's announcement, the group will build on last year's ad hoc committee report and develop new recommendations on how editorial and business operations can work together as IU's student media move toward financial stability.
"The Media School remains deeply committed to the editorial independence and financial sustainability of student media," Tolchinsky said in the announcement. "This task force represents an opportunity to take that commitment even further— by strengthening the foundations that support it."
But student leaders at the IDS say the university must demonstrate transparency and genuine commitment to the task force's recommendations.
"We see a lot of potential with this new task force but need clarity on who exactly will be on the committee and clear, genuine commitments from IU and The Media School that they will follow the committee's recommendations—and not attempt to water down any committee's findings," co-editors Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller said in a joint statement. "Current students must be involved. A committee and its recommendations mean nothing if the university doesn't commit to following through."
Hilkowitz added that she and Miller were not consulted before the task force's formation and were informed only about 20 minutes before the announcement was made to faculty.
The announcement also comes as the Indiana High School Press Association (IHSPA) says it is suspending its relationship with IU and The Media School.
In a statement released Sunday, IHSPA said the decision was in response to recent administrative actions it called "an unacceptable infringement on press freedom."
The organization described those actions as "a clear violation of journalistic ethics and First Amendment principles" and said it stands "in full support of the journalists at the Indiana Daily Student and all who champion their rights."
The task force's composition and timeline are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.