A sign that reads “Stop censoring student media” in wake of the censorship of student newspapers across a few campuses this past year. Credit: Graphic by Lily Pace | Managing Campus Editor
This past year, we have seen very concerning incidents on different college campuses where a student newspaper has had their free speech curtailed or outright violated.
In September 2024, Penn State University removed The Daily Collegian’s 35 newsstands and papers from on-campus locations without notifying the newspaper’s staff. The university said it was because of the ads that ran at the top of the newsstands (some for Kamala Harris advertisements and others with voter registration ads) and that they would restore the newsstands to their proper locations — without the ads.
This summer, Purdue University notified the then Purdue Exponent that they would no longer help in distributing their newspapers, and were prohibited from using the name “Purdue” for any commercial reasons.
Most recently and most concerning, Indiana University fired the Indiana Daily Student’s Student Media Director, Jim Rodenbush, after he refused to censor the newspaper by keeping news stories out of special printed editions focused on a single topic, including homecoming. Since then, the university has fully cut the remaining print editions, including special publications.
What links all of these cases together is one common theme: university control.
Universities don’t want “bad press” on their campuses — despite the truth etched behind every word in these papers. The longer we let universities get away with censoring students’ speech, the worse it will get.
Prohibiting or limiting newspapers from being able to publish the news completely, including cutting off critical sources of print advertising revenue and other support newspapers rely upon to operate independently, defeats the purpose of why these papers are so important. We need to be able to inform the community on the good and the bad, and no university should have any say in that.
Freedom of the press is critical to hold people in power accountable. This includes everyone. The university leadership is not exempt just because their name may be associated with the publication.
The Lantern stands with the Indiana Daily Student, The Exponent, The Daily Collegian and all other student newspapers in this distressing time of censorship.
When one student newspaper’s First Amendment right is threatened, that affects all of us.
It is appalling that this letter has to be written in the first place.
Universities — if you are not protecting the free speech of your student-ran newspapers, you are failing to keep your student body notified, you are failing to protect your students rights and you are failing your current students and alumni.
To remain silent is to remain complicit. Stand up for student media.
Sincerely,
The Lantern 2025-26 Editorial Staff
Lily Pace, Managing Campus Editor
Davis Beatty, Campus Editor
Grayson Newbourn, Managing Arts & Life Editor
Antonia Campbell, Arts & Life Editor
Sandra Fu, Managing Photo Editor
Olivia Rinaldi, Sports Editor
Helena Hennessy, Arts & Life Senior Writer
Daniel Bush, Campus Photo Editor
Faith Schneider, Arts & Life Photo Editor
Liam Ahern, Sports Photo Editor
Reilly Cahill, Sports Senior Writer
Ally Wolfe, Campus Senior Writer
Audrey Coleman, Managing Editor of Design
Carter Kohli, Lantern TV Campus Producer
Julia Hart, Arts & Life Senior Writer
