Indiana University’s Media School Dean David Tolchinsky fired their Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush Wednesday, following the university limiting print coverage to solely “special themed editions.”
Hours after the firing of Rodenbush, the university decided to no longer print the Indiana Daily Student, but will continue to publish digital content.
These decision are sparking a fear of censorship amongst University of Iowa journalism professors.
According to Indiana Public Media, Rodenbush told editors in an Oct. 7 email, university administrators expected this week’s edition “should contain nothing but information about homecoming — no other news at all, and particularly no traditional front page news coverage.”
The Indiana Daily Student said they were planning to eliminate the weekly print edition to save money on Oct. 8 and was not involved in the decision to fire the director.
Tolchinsky told Rodenbush he was being fired for his “lack of leadership” and unwillingness to stick to the Student Media Plan, according to Indiana Public Media.
“I am in a position where I can tell my editors that this is the thing that’s been said to me,” Rodenbush said. “But then, whatever they want to do is whatever they want to do.”
Brett Johnson, associate professor at the UI and licensed attorney, said there are key differences between the UI and the Indiana Daily Student. The UI’s journalism department is housed under the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, however, the journalism department at Indiana is its own school, allowing for the dean to have more power over decisions.
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Indiana Daily Student is an auxiliary business service organization owned by Indiana University, according to the newspaper’s website. While the paper is owned by the university, they generate their own revenue, make their own editorial decisions, and are not funded by the university.
As a professor who teaches about freedom of expression, Johnson said it is troubling to teach students about such important topics but have “that those lessons into mere platitudes.”
“Any kind of attack on student media then becomes even more insidious as attacks against the press because this isn’t just ‘on the job training’ anymore, you’re doing the work,” Johnson said.
The Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said the Indiana Daily Student has maintained editorial independence for over 150 years.
“Firing Rodenbush shows IU’s disregard for student journalists, and FIRE demands @IndianaUniv protect student free press and faculty academic freedom,” FIRE said in the X post.
David Dowling, professor at the UI’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said it will be demoralizing to see how this decision will invoke more censorship in student news.
“It’s going to have ripple effects across the country [and on] every campus,” Dowling said.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the Indiana Daily Student is a non-profit, independent organization. The Daily Iowan regrets this error.