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| "Mexican News," by Alfred Jones, after Richard Caton Woodville (National Gallery of Art) |
That seems so simple. Though it requires a spine, which so many folk just don't have. And brains. Also often in short supply.
I'm thinking about the mess at Indiana University. Last week the administration abruptly fired the student media director and cancelled all future editions of the Indiana Daily Student, pretending it was a regular business decision to "align with industry trends."
The fired adviser told The New York Times that the move was taken because the college wants the newspaper to stop printing news, and only feature be-true-to-your-school boostry fluff.
Student journalists suspect they were angry that the newspaper wasn't chirping loudly enough about Homecoming weekend, and if they had to spike the 158-year old newspaper to amp up school spirit, so be it. It's only the students. It's not like something important. Like donors.
So what happens? The issue, that would have burned for a few hours on campus in Bloomington, is fanned into a national wildfire that goes on, day after day, in stories such as this one in the Washington Post.
And in one of those moments of selflessness that seal a story forever in the public mind, the Exponent, the paper at rival Purdue, two hours north and living in a different century, apparently, printed a special edition outlining the Indiana dust-up, then "crossed enemy lines" from West Lafayette and filled Indiana Daily Student boxes around the Bloomington campus with a special edition outlining the situation.
"WE STUDENT JOURNALISTS MUST STAND TOGETHER," the front page headline reads, according to a story in the Herald-Times.
Student journalists suspect they were angry that the newspaper wasn't chirping loudly enough about Homecoming weekend, and if they had to spike the 158-year old newspaper to amp up school spirit, so be it. It's only the students. It's not like something important. Like donors.
So what happens? The issue, that would have burned for a few hours on campus in Bloomington, is fanned into a national wildfire that goes on, day after day, in stories such as this one in the Washington Post.
And in one of those moments of selflessness that seal a story forever in the public mind, the Exponent, the paper at rival Purdue, two hours north and living in a different century, apparently, printed a special edition outlining the Indiana dust-up, then "crossed enemy lines" from West Lafayette and filled Indiana Daily Student boxes around the Bloomington campus with a special edition outlining the situation.
"WE STUDENT JOURNALISTS MUST STAND TOGETHER," the front page headline reads, according to a story in the Herald-Times.
You have to love that, right? Another ham-handed college administration ballyhooing their own inadequacy. Yes, it's all taking place in Indiana, the Mississippi of the Midwest, and so can be lumped together as matters beneath notice. But with truth under attack on a daily basis across our country, even a victory in a minor skirmish in an overlooked place is worthy of notice.
That's a good one: Ind. the MS of the Midwest and so true. Iowa and Wisc. may not be far behind.
ReplyDeleteBeen calling deep-red Ohio "North Missitucky" for quite a while now.
DeleteAnd Indiana, natch, is West Missitucky. It's a lot worse than Ohio.
Never forget, that Indiana was run by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s!
ReplyDeleteI grew up reading . the Suntimes, Trib, Daily news , Today, various magazines and books. I was just a kid. didn't have any money. found them laying around . maybe yesterdays or last months issue.
ReplyDeleteIn my teens I could put a dime in the box or read a paper left behind on the CTA headed to school.
I've a subscription to the NYT . Thats all I can afford. The paywall at the Washington post and Herald- times kept me from reading more about this story. no wonder we are producing generations of ignorant idiots. Young people won't spend the money required to easily access the news and publications don't want to expand readership, they just give you the finger and advertisers do the same to them.
We are doomed. the tik Tok generation has no idea what's going on and neither do I cause I can't access it. Dumb
Go to the library. Don't be a dummy.
DeleteI wouldn’t waste any time with the Washington Post. Bezos is making it the Mississippi of newspapers.
DeleteThanks Neil. Right on the money! Looks like it’s time for the rebirth of a new generation of underground news sources and counter culture outlets! Hey, when the powers that be skew too far, it’s time to fight back! Power of the Press!
ReplyDelete