The University of Georgia’s student newspaper The Red and Black is one of the best student newspapers in the country. It is innovate, investigative and informative. As with any student newspaper, The Red and Black has a set of advisors to help aid them in their student journalism careers.
Almost two weeks ago, the entire editorial staff of the paper and the majority of its members walked out of its newsroom in protest of censorship from its Board of Directors. A memo drafted by the board stated the editorial director would have final say on all published content and suggested having less “bad content.” The memo defines this “bad content” as stories that catch “people or organizations doing bad things,” continuing to say “I guess this is ‘journalism’…If in question, have more GOOD than BAD.’”
The former staff of The Red and Black left in what was a defense of good journalism.
The students recognized that the sanctions their Board of Directors was placing on them were ridiculous and undermined the mission of journalism. Their passion to protect the integrity of their paper is one that every journalist should strive to have.
Journalism is no longer journalism when higher-ups are telling editors what to publish and in what manner. It is no longer journalism when the editors do not get a say in what the final paper will look like.
In the case of The Red and Black, the students were being stripped of their right to be student journalists at the university they chose to attend.
When the members of the paper walked out, they created a website called Red and Dead, which they updated with developments about their situation. Since the walkout on August 15, the staff members have met with the Board of Directors to discuss how the paper should be run.
In their final statement on their website, Red and Dead staff said “we want to be clear that students have editorial control over the contents of our publications with no prior review.”
While it may have been rash to walk out of their newsroom on deadline, the staff of The Red and Black stood up for the integrity of their paper and the integrity of journalism.
-The Editors