EIC block upsets students, faculty
USC faculty, student newspaper editors express concerns over decision.
Jeremy Beecher, Joanna Lin and Courtney Willis
Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: News
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USC students and faculty and student journalists around the nation expressed concern and shock Wednesday after the administration said it would block the Daily Trojan's editor in chief-elect from taking office.
Zach Fox resigned as editor in chief Tuesday after Michael L. Jackson, vice president of Student Affairs, said he would withhold the re-elected editor's application from Media Board approval.
"It just seems to me it tromps all over the reason for having a student newspaper in the first place," said John Kotler, professor of media law at the Annenberg School of Journalism.
"How can you have a student voice with the students being throttled by the administration? … The (faculty) I've spoken with are outraged."
"It's a newspaper produced by the students for the university, and it should be seen that way," said Felix F. Gutierrez, journalism professor and former editor in chief of the student newspaper at California State University, Los Angeles.
Kotler said he and other faculty members have asked Michael Parks, director of the School of Journalism, to put the issue on the faculty meeting agenda Monday.
Administrators cited problems with Fox's application as the reason for preventing him from taking office.
Fox's application did not fit the current job description for editor in chief, said Lori White, associate vice president of Student Affairs.
"If you apply for a job, you apply for the job as it is. … If Zach had wanted to apply for the current job of editor in chief, we would have forwarded his application to the Media Board," she said.
The Media Board is an advisory group composed of faculty and students whose approval is required for student media leader appointments.
"I think several faculty members are concerned about the threat to the freedom of the press, and the freedom in this case of the Daily Trojan - that's in our own front yard," said Bryce Nelson, journalism professor and former president of the Harvard Crimson, the independent student newspaper of Harvard University.
Zach Fox resigned as editor in chief Tuesday after Michael L. Jackson, vice president of Student Affairs, said he would withhold the re-elected editor's application from Media Board approval.
"It just seems to me it tromps all over the reason for having a student newspaper in the first place," said John Kotler, professor of media law at the Annenberg School of Journalism.
"How can you have a student voice with the students being throttled by the administration? … The (faculty) I've spoken with are outraged."
"It's a newspaper produced by the students for the university, and it should be seen that way," said Felix F. Gutierrez, journalism professor and former editor in chief of the student newspaper at California State University, Los Angeles.
Kotler said he and other faculty members have asked Michael Parks, director of the School of Journalism, to put the issue on the faculty meeting agenda Monday.
Administrators cited problems with Fox's application as the reason for preventing him from taking office.
Fox's application did not fit the current job description for editor in chief, said Lori White, associate vice president of Student Affairs.
"If you apply for a job, you apply for the job as it is. … If Zach had wanted to apply for the current job of editor in chief, we would have forwarded his application to the Media Board," she said.
The Media Board is an advisory group composed of faculty and students whose approval is required for student media leader appointments.
"I think several faculty members are concerned about the threat to the freedom of the press, and the freedom in this case of the Daily Trojan - that's in our own front yard," said Bryce Nelson, journalism professor and former president of the Harvard Crimson, the independent student newspaper of Harvard University.
