THE GRINN ELL REPORTER

Vol. 74 Grinnsll Collage. Grinnell, Iowa souz, Friday, May IV. 1757 No. 29

4 Reporter- ceases publicaton: protest
ileggett censorship of '66 yearbook ,

An Editorial

 

 

With this issue of The Reporter we cease
publication. This issue does not include our nor-
mal news coverage and the staff will not put out
a commencement issue as previously planned. We
find it intolerable to continue our service to an
academic community which makes a sham of stu-
dent publications’ autonomy. If one publication
can be blanketly censored — in this case the 1966
yearbook ~ then all are in grave danger.

The cancellation of the yearbook is the latest
and most serious miscarriage of proper publica-
tions procedure. All regard for rule and reason
was ignored when:

l.) A collegesponsored book was recalled
by the college for review without the knowb
edge of the student editor.

2.) The book was cancelled due to what
the college counsel and President Glenn Leg-
gett have termed libelous material though
none of it has of yet been substantiated

3,) Cancellation of the book came before
discussion with the editor and a publications
lawyer,

4.) The college’s Student Publications
Committee — of which the duties are (accord-
ing to facility committee bylaws) “to function
as Publisher” of the college yearbook, among
other publications, and ”to exercise general
supervision of all student publications" —-
was blatantly superseded in power by admin-
istrative dictum.

5.) When the cancellation of the book was
appealed the issue was placed back in the
hands of the Committee in the form of a pro-
posal which called for Committee review and
editing of the book “for tone and balance” in
the absence of the editor. The Committee
promptly passed the proposal—voting against
their own bylaws. which outlaw prior cen-
sorship of any publication. Though a commit-
tee member later moved that the proposal
was invalid due to its illegality, other com-
mittee members refused to annul the pro
posal.

G.) A student non-voting but regular
”staff" member of the Committee (this editor)
was barred from “private” proceedings of
the Committee, which lealt with the year-
book issue, while a faculty nonvoting “ex-
officio” member. Chairman of the Faculty
Joseph Wall, participated. Publications Com-
mittee Chairman Benjamin Graham refused
a request for a vote on admission of the editor
to the meeting. In the past. Publications Com-
mittee meetings have traditionally included
all members.

But the hypocrisy and ineptness of this com-
mittee during the present crisis represents no de-
parture from its usual methods. And the sobering
fact is, similar problems are bound to recur given
the present Publications Committee structure
which allows a faculty-administration majority.
Under the present system:

1.) One administration member (to advise
on business matters) and four faculty menr
bcrs, specializing in subjects ranging from
English to science, dominate four student

members, only two of whom are involved in
actual publications; the other two are selected
by SGA. The only professor of journalism at
Grinnell refuses to sit on this committee. Last~
semester when the Committee Chairman
Henry - York Steiner assumed administrative
duties — a role causing conflicting interests
—the Committee (again ignoring lts bylaws)
allowed him to continue in his position until
repeated objections by a student member un-
seated him.

2.) Decisions of this committee originate
in a vacuum of knowledge about publications
(due to the members background and lack of
interest) and about student culture [due to the
faculty majority). The present Committee
chairman, Benjamin Graham, is a professor of
biology. Further, faculty opinions, by their
very nature, are always subject to administra.
tive pressure. The result? The recent rejec-
tion of a superior candidate for the position of
Reporter editor by Committee members unin-
volved in student publications — a decision
which rejected the advice of the Committee
minority who are actually involved in and
knowledgeable about publications.

3. The faculty chairman of the Commit-
tee assumes disproportionate power over pub-
lications affairs. In the recent dispute over
the 1966 yearbook, Chairman Graham sup-
posedly represented the Committee yet at
least the student members were left totally
in the dark as to the brewing storm.

4,) Though matters of libel are a subject
all learning writers should study and though
vague warnings about printing libelous ma-
terial have been batted about time and again
in discussion of Grinnell publications, the
Committee has made no effort to educate its
members and the students its sponsors as to
the boundaries of responsible journalism in
the real world.

Considering these problems and considering
the time'consuming nature of serious creative
work for which Grinnell refuses to award aca«
demic credit, the student at Grinnell actively dedi-
cated to the communications arts and to student
freedoms faces bleak prospects.

In light of these recurrent problems, a plan
for reorganization of Grinnell's system of publi<
cations should appear fairly apparent, Voting
membership on a publications committee should
be chiefly comprised of student representatives
from each publication and from the radio station,
possibly an additional member being elected by
the senate. A non-voting administrative advisor
should be available for consultation on business
matters, One or two faculty members could sit in
on a regular advisory basis. This committee
should restrict itself to technical, legal and fi-
nancial matters relating to publications. The col-
lege should also hire a practicing journalist (pos-
sibly from Des Moines) as a partrtime consultant.
This consultant could, for instance, advise in mat-
ters of libel. Finally, students must be encouraged
in the invaluable learning experience of publica-

Editorial continued on page 5