Student journalists with The Alestle at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville wanted to do something reporters do every day: interview university employees.
But SIUE’s communications office insisted on coming along and sitting in on multiple interviews between Alestle journalists and university staff. When a student journalist tried to arrange a solo interview, the director of communications said her presence was “non-negotiable” and that “approval of the interview is ultimately [her] decision.”
That’s a serious problem. Like student journalists, public university employees have First Amendment rights, too. University administrators cannot give themselves veto power over employees’ conversations with the press or force employees to have a university PR babysitter present when speaking to journalists.
When The Alestle reported on the communications office’s interference, an SIUE official sent a scathing email to the university community, blasting the newspaper, denying they engaged in censorship, and demanding The Alestle retract its reporting.
A university PR office should not control reporters’ access to sources — or attack the student newspaper when it reports critically on university officials.
Tell SIUE: Stop interfering with student journalists’ interviews, respect The Alestle’s editorial independence, and protect the right of university employees to speak freely with the press.
