There are some rules that are meant to be broken. Staying out past curfew, driving a little too fast or trespassing to see the best fireworks are all rules that we accept and often bend or break.
For most people though, playing by the rules is an important part of life.
For example, football fans would riot if a touchdown no longer was worth six points and only two. Fashion fanatics would dive off the deep end if mid season the pencil skirt was replaced by the bubble skirt. Academics would sink into deep depressions if suddenly an F was worth more than an A. Changes in rules like these do not ever happen.
These are rules that are widely understood and accepted. When rules like these are changed, anger and chaos inevitably ensues.
Understanding all of that, let’s take a look at a rule that was thrust upon the Merciad last spring.
Last year, Barack Obama took out an ad in our college newspaper. The ad had a picture of him and encouraged people to vote. Hilary Clinton came to our school to speak, and the bishop boycotted graduation. After that, the administration said political ads of all kinds were no longer permitted in our paper.
Until…
Now. The Merciad received an ad, a 12 page pamphlet to be more precise, that will be part of the publication on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
The pamphlet is a pro-life ad from hunamnlife.org. The ad uses a full 12 pages to relay their pro-life message to students and faculty reading the paper.
This political ad was given the OK by administration.
All political views and opinions aside, this ad goes against the rules that the administration set out for the Merciad to follow. This ad is conveniently aligned with the college’s Catholic ideals.
What does not make sense is WHY it will be in the paper. It breaks the rule that the administration created. The newspaper is not a puppet or a PR function for the school or the administration. The newspaper is for the students and by the students and is to inform and educate.
No one wants to be forced to play by contradicting rules. The college laid out the rules which the Merciad followed. Of course, we will also follow this change in rules as well. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it means that the policy will change and political ads will be allowed in the paper from here on out.
Most likely this will be the only political ad the Merciad will see. The problem I have with this is that both sides are not being fairly shown. Even if a pro-choice organization took out an ad it probably wouldn’t be the 12 pager that this pro-life one is, making it still unfair and biased.
The Merciad and its content is a direct reflection of the people writing in it and editing it. I do not want to be associated with the message or the bias that this ad portrays. A disclaimer from the editors or even an editorial is not enough. Students reading the Merciad will think that this was our choice and it in fact was not.
The entire point of journalism is to report truth and discoveries to educate people on what’s going on in their world. I would love to write on this in the paper. But I cannot. Bad feelings between the paper and the administration are something neither group can afford. We need each other for information and I will not be the one to sour that relationship.
The point is, it’s not right and the school is manipulating their power over the Merciad to relay their messages.
What do you think?
2 comments:
While the college is Catholic, thereby pro-life, if they set the rule that no political ads would be allowed, then they should follow through with that. It makes the Merciad look inconsistent when it is not even up to you guys at all. Since the Merciad is a student-run newspaper, I think it should be left that way. It seems like the college's agenda conflicts with the way the paper should be run and that's wrong. If the administration was in charge of the paper, then I'd say they could do whatever they want. I think the Merciad will probably receive a lot of response from this 12-page insert because it is such a controversial topic.
I agree with what you said Danger Bear. We discussed this topic in class and it would technically fall under censorship and prior restraint in that case would be against the law. However, since Mercyhurst is a private college, they can pretty much do whatever they want. I really don't think the administration cares about what is fair and what isn't. Just remember some time ago when the Cosmopolitan magazine had to be taken out of the bookstore display, because some parent thought it was misleading their child's education (maybe they forgot that CVS has Cosmo and even more such magazines out on display too) and the school agreed. Honestly, if your child is being mislead by what is on a newspaper cover, then you must have done something wrong as a parent, that's what I think. Now with the Merciad it's somehow similar. Why can the administration not allow any kinds of ads, because I'm sure that by the time people go to college they have formed their opinion on politics, society, sex and whatever else, so why not just leave it up to the students to decide for themselves what they want to read and what not. If someone finds let's say an ad for pro choice offensive, then this person just shouldn't read it. However, as I said, Mercyhurst is private, so they will always do what they want and the students have to go with it unfortunately.
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