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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.
Indiana- home of the KKK
DeleteNever forget, that Indiana was run by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s!
ReplyDeleteIndiana was the biggest Klan state in the country. They ran it. State and local politicians were either members or allies. One third of all white males in the state were members. The governor was in the pocket of the Grand Dragon, who went to prison in 1925 for rape and murder, and began naming names immediately, hoping that ratting out state corruption would earn him a pardon. It did not. Finally got out in 1950, violated his parole, and did another five years. And was then banned from Indiana for life (That's a punishment?).
DeleteAround the same time (1924), the Klan tried to recruit in SOUTH BEND. Home of NOTRE DAME. There were anti-Klan riots. The college boys tore their banners down and whupped their asses and ran them out of town. The Klan targeted immigrants and Catholics, and South Bend had many Polish Catholic immigrants who worked at the Studebaker auto plant. Like the students, they did not put up with that kind of kooky klan krap.,
I 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.
Deleteas Jack said, check your local library - you can usually access lots of newspapers online - all you need is a library card.
DeleteYou don't need a library card to go in and read newspapers. Getting a card has advantages tho-you can check out books, AV stuff and magazines (just not the current one) And free computers and classes of all kinds.
DeleteOk jack. Fun for those who can still walk I guess. Library card and online. Thanks for that
DeleteLibraries have been evolving in interesting ways over the years - my local library provides free online access (3 day, renewable passes) to the NY Times and Chicago Tribune which you can read on a computer or tablet from your home. There is also an option to read a collection of current news articles from "newspapers source plus", though I haven't tried that one yet. You can get history, health and biography resources online from local libraries, too. I feel lucky to have such a great library system.
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!
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil. I never heard Indiana called the Mississippi of the Midwest but as a resident I love it! Any Trump edict governor Braun can apply to the state, he does. One of our senators doesn’t even acknowledge receiving my emails. No spines and no mind of their own.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to which state is the Mississppiest, Ohio can give Indiana some stiff competition. Ohio has voted for Trump THREE times. Since 1900, only three Democratic presidents (FDR in 1944, JFK in 1960, and Joe Biden in 2020) have been elected without winning Ohio.
DeleteOne of our U.S. senators, Bernie Moreno, is a former car dealer who scammed and stiffed his own employees. And then there's the grandest prize of all...Jethro V. Dance...the serial couch rapist who was elected to the U.S. Senate in '22...before being kicked upstairs and becoming the V-P.
Which means there's now a pretty good chance that our next accidental POTUS will be a yahoo from southern Ahia. As 48, His Accidency may prove to be even worse than 45/47.
When I lived in Indiana, I sometimes heard it described as the south's middle finger, extending north of the Mason-Dixon Line but still part of it. It tracks.
ReplyDeletethat's a good one, Nance
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