Another U.S. University Shuts Down Print to Stifle Free Speech.

toner · 2025-10-17T11:39:28-04:00

Second University Shuts Down Student Print: A New Front in the Fight Over Free Speech. In recent months, two public universities in the U.S. have moved to eliminate—or severely curtail—the print editions of their student newspapers. In both cases, the timing and context have raised serious concerns about censorship under the guise of modernization. Indiana University made headlines in October 2025 when it fired its Director of Student Media, Jim Rodenbush, after he refused to enforce administrative demands to censor content in an upcoming special print edition of the Indiana Daily Student (IDS). Hours after the firing, the university announced the complete suspension of the IDS print edition, ending a 158‑year tradition. Administrators cite budget pressures and a pivot to digital, but critics call it retaliatory and a direct attack on editorial independence. Earlier in 2025, the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) quietly ended print publication of The Vista, its 122‑year‑old student newspaper. UCO claimed the move was driven by financial constraints; yet a legal group representing students accused the university of refusing outside funding offers that could have preserved printing and of taking the step in retaliation for critical coverage. (Oklahoma Voice) For more on the UCO case, see “Can’t Print Here: University of Central Oklahoma Accused of Censoring Student Paper” on Tonernews. (tonernews.com) While many student newspapers have voluntarily moved to digital formats in response to declining ad revenue, these two cases stand out not for their business logic—but for their linkage to censorship pressure and institutional control. Print remains symbolic: it is visible, tangible, archival, and harder to erase. Removing it under duress weakens not just reach, but the voice itself.

Tonernews.com, October 17, 2025. USA

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Second University Shuts Down Student Print: A New Front in the Fight Over Free Speech.
In recent months, two public universities in the U.S. have moved to eliminate—or severely curtail—the print editions of their student newspapers. In both cases, the timing and context have raised serious concerns about censorship under the guise of modernization.

Indiana University made headlines in October 2025 when it fired its Director of Student Media, Jim Rodenbush, after he refused to enforce administrative demands to censor content in an upcoming special print edition of the Indiana Daily Student (IDS). Hours after the firing, the university announced the complete suspension of the IDS print edition, ending a 158‑year tradition. Administrators cite budget pressures and a pivot to digital, but critics call it retaliatory and a direct attack on editorial independence.

Earlier in 2025, the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) quietly ended print publication of The Vista, its 122‑year‑old student newspaper. UCO claimed the move was driven by financial constraints; yet a legal group representing students accused the university of refusing outside funding offers that could have preserved printing and of taking the step in retaliation for critical coverage. (Oklahoma Voice) For more on the UCO case, see “Can’t Print Here: University of Central Oklahoma Accused of Censoring Student Paper” on Tonernews. (tonernews.com)

While many student newspapers have voluntarily moved to digital formats in response to declining ad revenue, these two cases stand out not for their business logic—but for their linkage to censorship pressure and institutional control. Print remains symbolic: it is visible, tangible, archival, and harder to erase. Removing it under duress weakens not just reach, but the voice itself.
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October 17, 2025 at 11:39 AM

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