2008 Woodie Awards
Abuse of power: student government should not cripple student media
Issue date: 1/31/08
Section: Editorial
In a blow to the First Amendment, a student newspaper in New Jersey was censored by the student government this month.
The Montclarion, at Montclair State University, was stopped from printing its first weekly issue this month after the paper's budget was frozen. The budget freeze stemmed as a result of lasting tension between Student Government Association and the paper, headed by Editor in Chief Karl de Vries.
De Vries told the MSU Reporter in a phone interview Wednesday that the paper's funding was cut after SGA President Ron Chicken alleged the paper had hired an attorney using student fees and overstepped certain policies, even though Chicken was not president when the attorney was contracted. In other words, SGA enforced the policies retroactively.
The attorney was hired for student reporter consultation, who gave advice especially in regard to open meeting laws and students' rights in covering SGA. In November, Chicken demanded de Vries give him all correspondence between the attorney and the paper. The editor refused, and the attorney was subsequently fired.
After several closed-door meetings (which were held in violation of open-door laws) as well as editorials criticizing SGA, Chicken and the three members of the executive board voted to freeze the Montclarion's budget, according to its website.
Despite the budge freeze, Montclarion writers and editors continued their news gathering in an online-only version. But after a five-hour meeting Wednesday, SGA voted on a "cooling off period," in which the paper's budget would be reactivated to include the bare minimum - operating and printing - for 30 days. Today the Montclarion goes to print again.
De Vries said readers have been supportive.
"Remarkably enough, people may want a better newspaper, but no one wants no newspaper," he said, in a call during a hectic production night. "Aside from the usual detractors, the students' support for our cause has been very overwhelming."
The Montclarion, at Montclair State University, was stopped from printing its first weekly issue this month after the paper's budget was frozen. The budget freeze stemmed as a result of lasting tension between Student Government Association and the paper, headed by Editor in Chief Karl de Vries.
De Vries told the MSU Reporter in a phone interview Wednesday that the paper's funding was cut after SGA President Ron Chicken alleged the paper had hired an attorney using student fees and overstepped certain policies, even though Chicken was not president when the attorney was contracted. In other words, SGA enforced the policies retroactively.
The attorney was hired for student reporter consultation, who gave advice especially in regard to open meeting laws and students' rights in covering SGA. In November, Chicken demanded de Vries give him all correspondence between the attorney and the paper. The editor refused, and the attorney was subsequently fired.
After several closed-door meetings (which were held in violation of open-door laws) as well as editorials criticizing SGA, Chicken and the three members of the executive board voted to freeze the Montclarion's budget, according to its website.
Despite the budge freeze, Montclarion writers and editors continued their news gathering in an online-only version. But after a five-hour meeting Wednesday, SGA voted on a "cooling off period," in which the paper's budget would be reactivated to include the bare minimum - operating and printing - for 30 days. Today the Montclarion goes to print again.
De Vries said readers have been supportive.
"Remarkably enough, people may want a better newspaper, but no one wants no newspaper," he said, in a call during a hectic production night. "Aside from the usual detractors, the students' support for our cause has been very overwhelming."
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