IU fires leader of student media, including Indiana Daily Student

The Indiana University Media School fired its Director of Student Media Tuesday, one week after he says he was ordered by administrators to remove news from the Indiana Daily Student print edition.

Editors at the IDS said Jim Rodenbush refused, telling Media School Leaders he would not censor the student paper.

After IU paid off nearly $1 million in debt for the IDS last year, it created a Student Media Plan that ended weekly printing to curb its deficit. The IDS is still permitted to publish special themed editions, which have included news. Rodenbush told editors in an email that administrators expected “that edition should contain nothing but information about homecoming — no other news at all, and particularly no traditional front page news coverage.”

An exception could be made for copies of the IDS distributed off campus, he said.

Media School Dean David Tolchinsky told Rodenbush in a letter published by the IDS that he was being fired for his “lack of leadership” and unwillingness to stick to the Student Media Plan.

IDS editors described the order on print in an editorial Tuesday as censorship and denounced his firing. Students at campus radio station WIUX and television station IUSTV also criticized the Media School, as did IU Student Government.

In a statement, IU spokesperson Mark Bode said IU is shifting student media resources from print to digital media and that “editorial control remains fully with IDS leadership.” He said IU wouldn't comment on personnel matters.

Rodenbush worked with student media at IU for seven years.

The IDS still publishes news daily online. The next IDS print edition – its homecoming guide – is scheduled to release Thursday.