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
posted by: (reply)
post date: 04.01.06 (8:02 pm)
You probably should go along with them if you want to get your education completed.
posted by: alumn (reply)
post date: 04.02.06 (8:54 pm)
As a graduate, it is lamentable to see donors hold so much power over the quality of dialogue allowed at NCU. I don't know the specifics of the situation, but you make a great case for your position... with one exception
" this isn't just about principles - the Northern Light is ultimately an educational tool."
I think both your integrity and your education are equally strong points of concern. I would not make one subservient to the other.
Perhaps you are considering the indegrity of our educational istitution as more important then your personal rights. If that is the case, I find your argument compelling, and I pray that God gives you insight as you decide how best to handle this situation.
I appriciate your comments and insights because they are expressed without bitterness and are seemingly objective (you must be learning something in your program).
Good Luck
posted by: alumn (reply)
post date: 04.02.06 (8:58 pm)
As a graduate, it is lamentable to see donors hold so much power over the quality of dialogue allowed at NCU. I don't know the specifics of the situation, but you make a great case for your position... with one exception
" If this situation were only a matter of principles and journalistic ethics... this isn't just about principles - the Northern Light is ultimately an educational tool."
I think both your integrity and the quality of the school are equally strong points of concern. I would not make one subservient to the other.
Perhaps you are saying the indegrity of our educational istitution as more important then your personal rights. If that is the case, I find your argument compelling, and I pray that God gives you insight as you decide how best to handle this situation.
I appriciate your comments and insights because they are expressed without bitterness and seeming pretty objective (you must be learning something in your program).
Good Luck
posted by: hopie26 (reply)
post date: 04.04.06 (1:20 pm)
Reply:
Thanks for the encouragement, alumn. As a staff we decided that the principles we are standing up for are what are most important. So we have decided to cancel the paper for the rest of the semester because administration wanted to pre-read and change each issue prior to publication and make sure there is nothing "negative" about the school in any part of the paper, including the opinion section.
It makes me very sad to cancel the paper for the rest of the year, but we feel a paper that is edited and changed by the administration would not be a student newspaper any longer.
I am willing to take the brunt of the consequences upon myself, the staff has their option of letting administration know they do not support my decision. Although we have been unanimous in our decisions thus far. I am willing to be expelled or suspended for my beliefs and principles. I have been careful to choose my battles and this is one that is of the most importance. It is a battle that will define whether I stand up for what is right the rest of my life. So I have chosen to stand up, regardless of the consequences.
posted by: Chuck (reply)
post date: 04.07.06 (5:25 pm)
This issue has escalated enormously. Please read about it at http://www.nlnews.org and join the fight.
posted by: Chris (reply)
post date: 04.09.06 (9:36 am)
If you guys are going to generate controversy, the least you could is make it more entertaining. Where are the first amendment cries? Where's the name calling? Where are the threats to get the school's non-profit status revoked? I mean, come on. We don't want education. We want entertainment.
posted by: Chuck (reply)
post date: 04.10.06 (9:43 am)
Chris,
I think you're joking, and so thanks for the laugh! But seriously, this is a moral issue to us. How would we be any better than the school if we stooped to threats and name-calling?
Of course, if you want to contact admin and do those things, you're more than welcome! ;)
posted by: Chuck (reply)
post date: 04.10.06 (9:45 am)
Chris,
I think you're joking, and so thanks for the laugh! But seriously, this is a moral issue to us. How would we be any better than the school if we stooped to threats and name-calling?
Of course, if you want to contact admin and do those things, you're more than welcome! ;)
posted by: Chris, (reply)
post date: 04.10.06 (10:04 am)
Chuck,
Obviously, I was joking. Though, I fail to see how this is a moral issue. Did the school ask you to lie? Or did they simply ask you to not publish a given article(s)? If the latter, I fail to see how it's a moral issue. Perhaps you can expound on this.
posted by: Chuck (reply)
post date: 04.11.06 (4:30 pm)
I think we've answered that question adequately enough on the website.
posted by: transfered from NCU (reply)
post date: 04.12.06 (10:40 am)
This also raises valid questioning of NCU's academic integrity, commitment to education and learning, deliberate indoctrination, responsibility/accountability, and general purpose. Christ has called us to be the best, to think critically, and any attempt (indirect or direct) to hinder or eliminate that should be considered as anti-Christian. I attend an AG church and have attended 2 AG universities. NCU is preparing the future of the AG church leadership. Destruction of critical thought and truth is the ultimate demise of the AG. I am disgusted by the complete prostitution of NCU. It appears that they do not stand for anything than the whims of the self-righteous and intellectually challenged. Truth should never be feared or rejected!