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In October 2024, the Indiana Daily Student weekly print edition was eliminated by Indiana University’s Media School for budgetary purposes, with the exception of seven special editions per semester. On Oct. 14, Indiana University terminated its former Director of Student Media, Jim Rodenbush. The following day, the IDS faced cuts to the special print edition’s funding after plans to print general news in the homecoming publication. IDS defined these decisions as censorship.

“We want to make it abundantly clear that our resistance to the Media School’s directive isn’t about print itself. It’s about maintaining our editorial independence,” IDS Co-Editors-in-Chief Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller wrote in a statement to The Daily Orange.

As an independent, nonprofit newspaper, we acknowledge how fortunate we are to not rely on editorial oversight or funding from Syracuse University. We recognize the difficulties our peer publications face, especially the IDS, which has taken a direct hit to its print and, in turn, its revenue.

We openly stand in solidarity and empathize with them as they encounter attacks on free speech.

The D.O. actively distributes a weekly print edition and occasional guides parallel to the IDS’s special editions. As such, IU’s citation of a “digital-first media environment” as reason to discontinue the IDS print edition is distressing. Though print editions have lost value to some, limits on print news demonstrates indifference to the First Amendment.

Our staff feels empowered by our ability to produce a tangible copy of our week’s work. We arrive on Wednesday nights eager to design pages, select visuals and collaborate with others. This experience humanizes our work, and the physical copy is a testament to the many hours of production.

The print edition is a perk of our production, though – we don’t depend on it. This isn’t the case for many other student-run publications like the IDS, which is already losing revenue, the paper’s co-editors in chief said. We’re also aware fellow publications on our own campus, including Jerk Magazine and The Good Life, have lost print funding as a result of the Registered Student Organization budget cuts.

Amid continued digital erasure of both government documents and web archives, preserving tangible campus news records is imperative to maintaining credibility.

Advertising revenue and donor support made The D.O.’s independence possible in 1971. But even as a paper that hasn’t felt repercussions of funding cuts or external censorship, our staff is working to give students a voice in an unprecedented time.

This semester, our news section is struggling to maintain on-the-record attribution, with sources citing fears of retaliation and potential privacy violations, and our opinion section is shrinking, with student writers expressing fears of being targeted for beliefs or citizenship status.

We’ve seen many national attempts to silence the press. Earlier this year, Jeff Bezos reorganized the Washington Post’s Opinion section, “encroaching” on editorial policies and standardizing output. The White House banned The Associated Press from the press pool only a month later, with President Donald Trump dismissing the publication as “radical left lunatics.”

These attacks aren’t happening in a vacuum, even though they’re buried in a constant stream of headlines and breaking news. A reporter’s presence in the White House, a college paper’s ability to print its work and fair coverage of every voice are all essential elements of free press.

The First Amendment is increasingly improperly manipulated and, in some cases, disregarded without effective consequence. Student journalism is no exception to this reality, and we must protect it.

Student journalists have a front seat to the current changes being made in higher education. This position must not be taken in the name of fear or ease of compliance.

“IU decided to fire Jim Rodenbush after he did the right thing by refusing to censor our print edition. That was a deliberate scare tactic toward student journalists and faculty,” Hilkowitz and Miller wrote. “If IU can irrationally justify censoring stories as ‘business decisions,’ what stops them from applying this thinking to the news and investigative stories that run on our website and social media?”

Direct resistance is the only response to this developing slippery slope. The D.O. admires the quick retaliation and doubling down of the IDS, as well as in-state rival Purdue University’s delivery of a “solidarity” edition to the Bloomington campus after the cut.

Faculty at the Media School also resisted Chancellor David Reingold’s decision, “appalled” by his breaching of core journalistic values. As individuals and organizations continue to stand up, we prove the coalition for free press remains strong.

IU’s internal decision to cut the IDS print proves there’s no amount of protection against the growing restrictions on our rights. For SU students, the prestigious rankings of the Newhouse School of Public Communications won’t necessarily protect us from continued overreach, though we’re proud SU signed a Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry in May 2024.

The D.O. remains committed to sharing truthful, accurate and fair stories on Syracuse and SU, with the mission of amplifying the voices of our community members. We believe the engagement and support of educators and readers is crucial to maintaining student journalism as a whole.

The national network of hardworking student journalists will not weaken under opposing forces that attempt to disband them.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.

Published on October 22, 2025 at 11:16 pm
Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com