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Staff Editorial: Cauldron should be student run, no strings attached

Instead of serving as a watchdog for governments, administrators and institutions, journalists who do not function freely, who feel threatened with retribution for controversial stories, are reverted to puppets, dictating the will of those in power over them.

For the students who sacrificed sleep and study to put countless hours of work into the University of St. Thomas newspaper, the Cauldron, the strings are tied and the curtain is drawn.

By suggesting "corrective action" for published work that is in disagreement with the university’s mission, a newly formed Publications Committee at St. Thomas has undermined the fundamental right of free speech and robbed student journalists of an unparalleled work experience.

Though the committee stated it would not issue prior review of content and that the move was not intended to censor the paper, any suggestion of punishment for published content is censorship enough, as students may be hesitant to cover controversial topics. Judging by St. Thomas’ track record when it comes to free speech (canceling pro-choice speakers, tearing gay-themed poetry from magazines), the idea that the Cauldron would go unscathed is one that’s hard to put much faith in.

Such strict control is permitted because St. Thomas is a private university. The school isn’t breaking any rules, unless ethical ones are taken into consideration.

In terms of student publications, the school doubles as publisher. Student workers are paid by tuition and student fees fund publications. While the paper is inevitably tied to the administration, the manner in which it is run is up to the committee. It can allow the students to run it freely, or it can issue guidelines, rules and regulations.

The Daily Cougar is part of student publications. We have a committee and we have a director. What we don’t have is censorship. It is this important fact that allows us to serve the students, faculty and staff of UH to the best of our ability. We only wish the students of St. Thomas were given the same opportunity.

In Dictionnaire Philosophique, Voltaire wrote, "We have a natural right to make use of our pens as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard."

The Cauldron will continue publication, but it reported that since the formation of the committee it lacks interested staff for next year. We hope brave students take an interest and a stand, and do their best to uphold the principles of journalism. Unfortunately it may be at their peril, risk and hazard.

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