The Griffin Editorial: Free speech matters now more than ever… and so does journalism

Last year on The Griffin’s annual trip to California for the ACP Spring National College Media Conference, they had sweatshirts marked with the phrase “Journalism matters now more than ever.” Every day, across college newsrooms and professional media outlets, this becomes a statement that gains more and more importance. College newsrooms specifically across the nation are being stripped of their free speech, simply because they are funded by their institution. Although our organization specifically is under no threat, as a college newspaper,

The Griffin feels the need to speak up for the college newspapers that have been affected by this and have lost their right to free speech.

Just a couple of weeks ago, The Griffin covered the Indiana University termination of the student newspaper advisor after he refused to censor their homecoming edition. This past Wednesday, NPR reported that the very same advisor filed a lawsuit against the university for interfering with the paper’s First Amendment rights. 

The Griffin feels strongly that free speech in college newsrooms is a necessity. We, along with other college newspapers, have a responsibility to report unbiased and truthful information. While we are affiliates of our institutions, it is also our job to report on what is happening – good or bad – on campus. Since we are a student newspaper, we speak for the students first and foremost. 

Furthermore, the loss of free speech in college newsrooms across the country sets a dangerous precedent as related to democracy. Free speech is a core tenet of our American democracy – the First Amendment is first, after all. The manifestation of free speech through independent journalism in newsrooms intrinsically upholds that tenet of democracy; college newsrooms are no different. Universities are undermining the work that college media sources do by cutting resources, setting a dangerous example – if it can happen to college newsrooms, it can (and is) happening to professional newsrooms. The inverse of that: if we start by protecting free speech on college campuses, we protect free speech everywhere. 

This also isn’t something that is only happening on college campuses. News organizations across the country are losing funding and therefore their right to free speech. Journalism as an industry – both student-run and professional – has always been about reporting unbiased news. Throughout the first year of his second term, the Trump administration has tried several times to cut funding and control the narrative newsrooms are pushing out. Earlier this year, AP was banned from the White House press conferences after refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as ‘The Gulf of America.’ NPR and PBS lost their funding and lawsuits have been filed against several news organizations, including CNN, ABC and The New York Times. 

This isn’t something that is exclusive to newsrooms, either. Earlier this semester, The Griffin covered the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show due to comments that were made about Charlie Kirk following his death. Political views aside, his suspension was a blatant violation of free speech. He was reinstated less than a week later, but regardless, this incident illustrates that the media has become a space where political views are controlled instead of being a free space for unbiased reporting.

At the end of the day, the struggle is about finding the balance between reasonable restrictions to protect an organization's image and outright infringement of the First Amendment. Of course, presidential administrations and universities do not wish to be displayed in a disfavorable light, but news organizations also reserve the right to report the news, even if it is disfavorable. The balance is ever shifting, but it should never be so skewed as to impede on protected rights such as the freedom of speech. As an organization, we are thankful that we haven’t had to worry about this, but that doesn’t mean we don’t empathize with and support media outlets – especially student-run organizations – that have had to face attacks against their First Amendment rights.

-HEW and MFB