Hope unfurled

The Northern Light ... censored

03.31.06 (12:59 am)   [edit]
Staff and friends, I want to inform you of a situation that has risen with the April 4 issue of the Northern Light. Administration approached me today through the NL adviser and the Communications department chair and asked us to take the Northern Light off the web. According to them, at least one donor to North Central read the paper online and protested. It's my understanding that the donor threatened to withdraw funding because of a few articles he/she read, namely the paper's coverage of Soulforce and a opinion commentary about the doctrine of the initial physical evidence and speaking in tongues. The school has informed me that it is a legal liability to have the website affiliated with North Central University. Administration also initially informed us that we could not write an article about Soulforce for the April 4 issue. I believe this is in conjunction with the protesting donor. We planned to write an article on how the school is preparing for April 17, the day the Soulforce Equality Riders plan to come to North Central to protest. Our article was going to include what security measures are to be taken by the school, advice to faculty, students and staff on how to respond on that day, etc. It was going to be an informative article about the plan and approach the school is currently taking. However, the article was approved, but only if it is pre-read by the Communications department chair, our adviser and Nate Ruch who is the Executive director of University Relations and is on the President's Cabinet. Ruch also happens to be the main source for the article. Also, the entire paper is to be pre-read by the Comm. dept. chair and our adviser. I am very upset by the actions the school is taking. In no way have we been a staff or organization who has attempted to print malicious or libelous content. Our coverage has been fair and balanced. We have tried to cover news that is important to our school. We understand that as students and journalists we must be accurate and conscientious of who we serve - this school. It has been our (my) privledge to be a part of the Northern Light and serve our student body. However, I have not taken a stand in the past when administration or those in power above me have, in my opinion, violated their role as the trustees of our education by censoring the Northern Light. They have controlled content regarding to Soulforce by either forcing us to not cover events surrounding it by canceling the printing of the paper or requiring us to run the articles through a member of administration prior to publication. I cannot in good conscience keep silent about this violation of journalistic ethics, principles and thwarting of the journalism students' educations. The stance and actions the school is taking is harming our education. While I love this school and have paid thousands of dollars to earn a degree from here, my heart aches at what is happening here. I am saddened, disillusioned and angry that I have to ask my staff to compromise their ethics, morals and standards to get a degree. The very ethics, morals and standards that are taught in journalism classes are not being encouraged and enforced when it comes down to their practical and real-world use ... producing a newspaper. I hope that as you read this e-mail you feel the weight I have felt this past year - a lack of support and understanding that has underwritten the Northern Light. If this situation were only a matter of principles and journalistic ethics, I might be able to push them down inside myself and hope they would re-emerge in the not too distant future. But this isn't just about principles - the Northern Light is ultimately an educational tool. And the education the staff and myself are receiving is misguided at best and horribly flawed at worst. I plan to approach administration and protest these actions. I am sharing this situation with you because I am hoping you will lend your support or advice. I have held my breath on this issue for far too long. Sincerely, Hope (Andrews) Bahr Northern Light Editor-in-Chief 2005-06 hopie26@hotmail.com

13 Comments

Check it out ...

03.22.06 (9:46 pm)   [edit]
The Northern Light, our campus paper, is online now at: www.nlnews.org My husband has been working veerry hard to get it up and going by himself. Kudos to him. Also, pick up the next copy of Newsweek this weekend or early next week. Chuck just might be quoted in it. Or at least, there will be an article about North Central and the Equality Ride :)

2 Comments

Creative or organized ... Can't I be both?!?

03.09.06 (1:12 pm)   [edit]
What does it mean to be right or left brain dominated? I am not sure yet. But with three tests, two came out that I am left-brained and one came out right. Try this test - Without thinking too much, cross your hands in your lap. Did you do it? Ok. http://www.ibidphoto.com/imag... Now look down.Is your right thumb or your left thumb on top? Whichever one is means that side of your brain is dominant. Right/Left brain test ... www.similarminds.com/brain.html More of an explanation ... http://www.angelfire.com/wi/2...

1 Comments