East Carolina fires student media adviser after paper ran photos of streaker

For what it's worth, my college newspaper didn't have an adviser. We were entirely independent of the school, though.

We also never ran anything close to as indecent as this in my tenure.

 

I remember our student newspaper advisor saying: "You will not be censored here, but when you get into the real newspaper world, your editors will censor you, so you might as well start doing it the right way right now."

 

The right to print this photo is NOT a "First Amendment Issue."

It's an issue of "Heeheehee, aren't we so clever!!! It's a dick!!!!! Let's try to squeeze the f-word into a story now!!! WHHHOOOO!!!!!"

CONGRESS shall make no law abridging Freedom of the Press. University officials, the local community, readers, etc. can stand up and wonder what the need was to print a photo like that without censoring the offensive bits. Sure, it's a public school. But what did they think was going to happen whe they ran that photo?

I understand that it's easy to get caught up in First Amendment talk here. But it's also important for journalists of all ages and experience levels to understand that they should not hide behind their own interpretation of the First Amendment to cover for their own bad decisions.

I'm wondering what the answer would be if anyone asked this advisor and his students why such a photo should be published.

What does the reader's ability to see the man's member add to the newsworthiness of it?

 

College campuses: utopias free of censorship

 

Anyone read the column from September that Isom mentioned to Romenesko?

http://rebekahtodd.tumblr.com/post/10814214583/east-carolinian-releases-outrageous-column-on-birth

 

Can't it be both?

Yes, it was tasteless and juvenile and not well thought-out. But, yes, it is also a First Amendment issue, insofar as the First Amendment generally protects speech that is tasteless and silly and stupid.

And firing an adviser because he refuses to violate well-established First Amendment case law is certainly an issue, whether the paper is printing photos of dongs or running the Pentagon Papers.

 

My college paper also did not have an adviser and was independent. I recall that we ran a streaker picture or two when it was all the rage. None of the photos was revealing, because our photographers and editors knew better. You didn't have to show everything (or anything) to get the idea across.

 

Again, it's not a First Amendment issue to fire someone for not doing their job. The advisor's job is to be a guide and mentor, and reportedly did nothing but encourage the jokes of an editorial staff to run the photo. By not saying anything despite knowing the ramifications, he proved to be ineffective.

 

Word for freaking word.

For everyone who thinks this is a First Amendment issue, try to slip "fuck" or "shit" into the paper the next time you work. You're free to do it from a First Amendment standpoint.

And you will be free to clean out your desk the next day after your bosses see it and fire your ass on the spot.

 

From a legal standpoint, not a relevant comparison at all. Not even close.

 

This country needs an enema.

 

well. damn. didn't read closely. my bad...carry on...