Student journalists with the Youngtown Edition at the County College of Morris in New Jersey recently went before the public university's Board of Trustees to lay out more than two years of documented harassment from school administrators who:
Intimidated reporters in an attempt to prevent accountability journalism. (The Youngtown Edition received a first place New Jersey Press Association award for exposing fire safety violations on campus.)
Threatened to gut the paper’s funding by 80% or completely.
Ousted a professional journalist from his position as adviser.
Replaced him with someone with zero journalism experience — who left in less than a month.
Then left the position unfilled.
Cut print circulation in half without telling Youngtown Edition editors.
Hid behind canned statements rather than speak to a reporter with the SPLC.
Youngtown Edition’s staffers posing with signs of support at Board of Trustees meeting
Photo by: Luna Wroblewski
In addition to drawing attention to the situation through our news story, SPLC also provided guidance through our legal hotline and SPLC attorneys wrote a letter of support for the students.
SPLC is the only organization in the U.S. squarely focused on protecting, advancing and promoting the 1A rights of student journalists. This is your last chance to donate in 2019.
