Journalism watchdog Jim Romensko of the Poynter Institute reports on a group of enterprising college kids who creatively protested their university’s attempt at censorship.
The LaSalle University Collegian’s story about a business professor having “exotic dancers” at an off-campus symposium was ready to go last week with a four-column banner headline, according to executive editor Vinny Vella. But the Catholic school’s dean of students ordered the story held until LaSalle’s investigation was completed. After other news outlets reported the scandal, the dean allowed publication — but only “below the fold” of the front page.
Romenesko said that the story ran Thursday on the bottom half of the front page with this headline, “La Salle launches ‘full-scale investigation’ into off-campus seminar.” The top half was left blank, except for four small words: See below the fold.
The Collegian’s editorial explained the unusual Page 1 and the back-story this way:
“Without this explanation (of why the story was delayed), we believe readers would think that the Collegian’s story was just a rehash of other journalists’ work. This perception is insulting to Luke Harold, Justin Walters and all of the other staff members who worked hard to put the story on today’s front page together.
The truth is that we got there first. Our hands were tied, but that is a fact that the staff as a whole has come to accept, albeit begrudgingly.”
