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UWM newspaper subject to new speech codes
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by Amelia Vorpahl
Friday, February 15, 2008
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Post college newspaper came under attack Sunday when the UW-Milwaukee Student Association passed a resolution punishing libel and slander in reporting.
The SA Sedition Act, written and introduced by student Senator Joseph Ohler, would allow SA to issue cease-and-desist orders against any individuals, groups or publications SA felt were libelous or slanderous. If the publications do not stop the behavior, SA would “pursue civil relief against said parties.”
However, some say this action by SA was an infringement upon freedom of the press and merely a retaliatory measure, specifically targeting articles in UW-Milwaukee’s student newspaper, The Post.
The articles in question were about several SA members who planned to organize a new student organization called Students for Responsible Government. However, they had not officially come out as a new organization yet.
The problem was that the document used as a primary source in the article was found on a shared student organization printer, which violates specific bylaws. Many members of the SA said they felt the articles were inaccurate and the document perhaps even fabricated.
The act was passed in the SA Senate Sunday, but SA President Rob Grover went on to veto it Tuesday. However, there is still the possibility the veto could be overridden with two-thirds Senate support.
Director of Legislative Affairs and student Senator Tyler Kristopeit said the act was passed in response to concerns many SA members had about the perceived inaccuracies in the articles. However, he also said a smaller session of the Senate passed the legislation, and it is not an accurate representation of the Senate as a whole.
Kristopeit said the measure was not designed to censor The Post.
“I don’t care what you write about us,” he said of the student paper, “but you need to make sure you check your facts. … I just want [the press] to be a little more fair and investigative.”
Isral DeBruin, editor in chief of the UW-Milwaukee Post, said he co-wrote both the articles in question, and that the newspaper did everything possible to ensure a fair and accurate story.
“We knew before we published that [the articles] were sensitive subject matter,” he said. “I’ve never been more careful with any other stories I’ve written.”
DeBruin also said he believes the Sedition Act was a mainly retaliatory measure against the Post for printing information that was not “as flattering as they would like.”
Donald Downs, University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor, said prior restraints on the press by a state or government body, like SA’s Sedition Act, are inherently suspicious. In most cases it’s a way for a governing body to shield itself from criticism, he said.
“You have to show that there’s some real danger against society,” Downs said. “The standard for being held accountable for libeling someone is a very high standard.”
Associated Students of Madison Chair Gestina Sewell said being a part of any government organization always comes with a certain amount of criticism, however, you shouldn’t let that stand in the way of doing your job. Sewell also said that ASM tries to maintain a good relationship with the press, and when conflicts arise, they try to work it out in a respectful manner.
“We haven’t burned our bridges because of bad press,” Sewell said. “It’s not about personal slights, but what’s best for the student body.”
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 3:06pm):
"Sedition Act"? Seriously? It's like little girls dressing up in mommy's clothes and putting on her makeup, while smearing it on the walls, on the dog, and most everywhere else in the process. You guys are taking yourselves waaaay too seriously.
Anonymous (April 17, 2008 @ 11:38pm):
It was in effective in bringing attention to the issue of responsible journalism and accurate reporting, so although it was vetoed, it accomplished one of the ends of its author.
Joseph Ohler (April 19, 2008 @ 8:31am):
The UWM SGA needs to regularly throw its weight around so that the university administration doesn't forget that it has a powerful student counterpart to compromise with. UWM Administration is particularly cunning with its marketing of new spending ideas, so the UWM SGA does at least one or two attention-getting maneuvers to keep it somewhat intimidating to the chancellor and his entourage the next time they propose some additional unnecessary expense.
Not to mention, all politicians, including student politicians, need to frame issues in terms that make their role more important than it might otherwise seem. A purely bureaucratic SGA lacking politics would be impotent in the fight against administrative tyranny.
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