The campus newspaper can challenge university actions, making it a valuable resource, a First Amendment expert said Tuesday afternoon.
In celebration of "Freedom of Campus Press Day," which was officially on Monday, students gathered in the Art and Journalism Building to hear Gene Policinski, deputy director of the First Amendment Center, speak about the power of their First Amendment right of free speech.
"In many areas, the student press is as challenged as it's ever been," Policinski said.
In fact, he said the student newspaper has been vulnerable to opposition since the beginning of the 20th century.
A full panel of judges from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Illinois argued 12 days ago that students should not have a free voice, Policinski said.
"It's really a dagger at the heart of your right to speak freely," he said. "I can't understand why Illinois is saying (students) can't be trusted."
Policinski credited Dr. Louis Ingelhart, Ball State professor emeritus and first journalism department chair, for standing up against Illinois.
Ingelhart also helped to start "Freedom of Campus Press Day" 40 years ago, Policinski said.
"Lou Ingelhart is a remarkable guy," he said. "It's tough to be heroic when you're just living out life day by day. He defended the right to speak out."
Policinski said some college administrators, however, are even trying to review college publications before they are distributed throughout their campuses - a form of censorship.
According to a Freedom Forum "State of the First Amendment" survey taken last spring, a third of the participants said they believed university administrators should be able to prevent students from expressing opinions about war during active combat, Policinski said.
The speaker also said about half of the participants agreed that professors shouldn't talk to students about the Bush administration during the war in Iraq.
"The campus newspaper is the highest refuge of independent thought," Policinski said. "Students can challenge authority. You have a right to express yourself, and the university has an obligation to provide you with that forum," he said.
Policinski said some students are even unfairly threatened with jail or expulsion for what they publish.
He also mentioned universities, such as Purdue University and Texas A&M University, where thousands of copies of the campus newspapers were stolen last year.
"The ultimate crime against the free student press is to steal it from the rack," Policinski said. "You steal more than just the paper; it's a theft of your ideas, opinions and the rights reserved for you in the Constitution."
A native of South Bend, Policinski received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Ball State. He has served as a reporter for the State House of Representatives and has also worked for the Gannet Service and USA Today in Washington, D.C.
Senior Elizabeth Strahan, a marketing and advertising major, said she enjoyed the semester's first journalism department PIR.
"The speech was good," Strahan said. "He taught me a lot about what we need to do in the news field."
Policinski said the campus press is a unique treasure; however, students will lose it if they don't stand up for their First Amendment rights.
"Students can challenge the forces that restrict them," he said. "While you have the tool of a campus press, pursue the truth; it's a rare opportunity."
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