Bennion discusses censorship with SAFE

By MEG CADY
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

President Steven D. Bennion addressed some 50 students to discuss the issue of campus media censorship by SUU administration on Thursday during a meeting of the Student Association for Free Expression.
“Let us reason together,” Bennion said at the beginning of the meeting.
Bennion said his reason for speaking to the club was two-fold. He said the issues on the table needed discussion, and he was invited by SAFE President Mark Justice.
Bennion said he hoped better understanding came from the meeting, and he said he felt many students went away from the meeting with that understanding.
Justice said he invited Bennion to speak to the students because the members of SAFE wanted a clear stance from the administration concerning campus media, the University Journal in particular.
Justice said the meeting opened a dialogue he hopes will continue. He said it established a better relationship with the president and administration.
Justice said the first and biggest step occurred when Bennion promised to give future criticism in the open so it will be available to students (in reference to his Sept. 9 letter of critique to Journal to managing director Paul Husselbee).
Bennion started by telling students the number of things he has done for the freedom of expression and to enhance learning during the six years he has been SUU president.
First, Bennion said the University Journal was an administrative paper when he came to SUU. He said he has put “much more responsibility in the hands of students.”
He also mentioned the paper’s move to the Communication Department,
making the paper a better learning lab.
Second, Bennion said the Center for Politics & Public Service has been an important addition to the campus. He said it gives students the opportunity to have leading experts, government officials and political candidates come to SUU and discuss political issues.
Third, Bennion talked about the Convocation series, which he said brings in ideas from outsiders.
Fourth, Bennion mentioned the addition of more diverse ideas and people to the administration. For example, he said he is proud to have Georgia Beth Thompson, vice president for student services, and new provost Abe Harraf.
Finally, Bennion talked about the diversity of ideas discussed at several of the diversity forums taking place this year.
Bennion said it is difficult to fund a public university with funding, scholarships and to support students.
“If you think it’s easy to get support of political leaders, it isn’t,” Bennion said.
Bennion said whether students like it or not, the student newspaper is part of a larger organization and represents the university in the publication.
Bennion said the Journal is funded by student fees, advertisers and the university itself. For example, the advisers, space and utilities are paid by the university.
“The Journal has, I think, some responsibility and accountabilityto those who help support them – the university, the students

and the advertisers,” Bennion said. “It needs the support of all these entities to be successful.”
Bennion said administrators have “the right by policy” to get involved in editorial and content articles.
He said, however, that the administration rarely exercises that right.
Bennion also said he felt it his duty to express his concerns on the issue, but he said it may have been wrong to express those concerns only to advisers and not to students. He said he would not be fulfilling his responsibility if he stayed out.
Bennion said all cherished freedoms have limitations.
“People need to be free to discuss ideas,” Bennion said. “It’s one of the hallmarks of America, but all of our freedoms have some limits.”
Bennion said he did not ask the paper or students to avoid tough issues, but he did ask for good judgment and balanced coverage.
Justice opened the question-and-answer portion of the meeting by explaining that students felt there had been “a clear violation of freedom of expression.”
Justice quoted Jon Smith, Communication Department chair, from his letter to Board of Trustees member Dane Leavitt.
“This sums it up better than I ever could,” Justice said. “This was everything I believed and everything I’ve been fighting for the last two weeks when (Smith) wrote that Dane Leavitt’s letter might be interpreted as a move to ‘mandate how individual reporters and editors do their jobs.
“I see this as micro-management and the federal courts see it as censorship. The chilling effect already placed on SUU faculty, staff and students over the last two weeks is de facto censorship.’”
When Justice asked Bennion who should have final say on media content, Bennion said he would take it case by case andwould have to consult legal counsel and maybe the advisory board, although they would listen to student editors.
Justice said he disagreed; the primary issue is that students should have the final say and not a board or committee.
Glynn Wilcox, a senior psychology/criminal justice major from Markham, Texas, asked Bennion if it was his assertion that administration had authority to dictate the final content of the student paper.
“We do by our current policy, yes,” Bennion said.
Cynthia Kirkham, a junior communication/sociology major from Portland, Ore., and a Journal staff member, asked Bennion why he did not share his letter and views with students.
Bennion said he meant for advisers to take it as advisement and did not share it with more people because of time and effort concerns.
Tim Justice, a senior political science major from Huntington, asked Bennion if he would “come out and say publicly that the administration will not ever, ever, ever get somebody fired, lose a scholarship, lose a petition based on the content of legal speech.”
Bennion said, “Probably not.”
Tim Justice asked Bennion what he would have students do.
Bennion said he is as concerned about the small donors, who include staff who don’t make much money, as the big donors.
He said the administration is not on bended knee to big supporters, but he said he cares about the fact they feel SUU is a good place.
Wilcox asked if it would be safe to say the University Journal should be free to print whatever it wants as long as it does not anger donors or members of the community.
Bennion said he would put it a different way because donors are as diverse as students are. He said it is necessary to ask people about their opinions and have open dialogue.