The role of a free press in a democratic society is to hold those in power accountable and inform the public with factual unbiased reporting. Any media policy that seeks to control or manipulate the flow of information is a direct threat to this foundational principle.
At the Northern Star, we understand our responsibility to tell the truth to our community and we are committed to upholding the standards of fair, unbiased journalism regardless of political pressure.
The Trump administration’s decision to handpick media outlets and reporters for the presidential pool raises concerns about freedom of the press and compelled speech, which is a violation of the First Amendment.
The Associated Press sued the Trump administration over access to presidential events, stating in its lawsuit: “The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government.”
Karen Whedbee, associate professor in the Department of Communication, shared her thoughts on how journalists should be independent.
“The government is asking the journalists to become PR agents for the government, journalists can’t do that. Journalists are supposed to be independent,” Whedbee said. “What’s happening is that the government is retaliating against a news organization, and it’s demanding that the journalists obey a specific executive order, and if they don’t obey, then those journalists are banned from covering White House events.”
This would be as if President Freeman blocked the Northern Star from covering Board of Trustees meetings after the Northern Star published our salary issue, just because she didn’t like that we published her salary.
Obviously, Freeman did not do this and we trust will never do something like this.
The White House decision opens up these kind of possibilities.
Trump’s media policies have implications for Americans regarding the First Amendment.
“It makes it very difficult to be informed about what’s happening in the White House if only reporters who support the president are allowed to report, then journalists aren’t able to provide alternative points of view,” Whedbee said. “The government cannot dictate to journalists how to approach any given news story. If they do, they are violating the notion of an independent press.”
As a member of the Associated Press, the Northern Star adheres to strict journalistic ethics in our pursuit of factual reporting. While the administration might choose to favor certain media outlets, the Northern Star will remain steadfast in reporting facts, analyzing policies and holding our elected officials accountable, irrespective of their attempts to control the narrative.
We believe that access to truthful information is crucial for a well-informed citizenry, and we will not allow any policy, no matter how restrictive, to compromise our commitment to providing the NIU and DeKalb community with the truth.
