Opinion: Letter
Pointer editor: It’s our right
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On Monday, Sept. 21, the Human Life Alliance, a pro-life organization, asked The Pointer to include a 12-page, pro-life informational insert in its publication. The editorial and managerial staff of The Pointer decided not to include this insert. This decision was made in accordance with The Pointer’s policy of not running paid advertisements from either pro-life or pro-choice groups. Other college media in Wisconsin and across the country adhere to similar policies.
“This is censorship. It truly is,” said Virginia Zignego, communications director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. “Either they are ideologically opposed to the pro-life message, or they are too scared to run anything controversial. Whichever, it is insulting to the intelligence of college students.”
The Pointer has the right to refuse any ad for any reason. We didn’t exclude this ad out of fear or because we are pro-choice as the Herald states, but rather because we decided to exclude both sides of the issue.
The Badger Herald states, “It is an embarrassment to journalism.” The Pointer staff takes their duties and responsibilities as journalists very seriously. Not printing an ad is a right we possess and does not infringe upon anyone’s freedom of press or speech. Paid advertising does not fall under the jurisdiction of free press and is guaranteed no protection in this regard.
The Pointer and its staff are confident in the decisions they have made regarding this issue. Anyone who disagrees with us has that right, but do not make assumptions regarding our staff or newspaper without first considering our policies and reasoning and discussing it with us. We run a fair and balanced newspaper. I believe we made the right decision and will continue to operate in the same fashion.
Jacob Mathia
Editor in chief
The Pointer
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Don’t worry, Jacob. Any accusation of journalistic embarrassment made by the Badger Herald should be taken with a grain of salt. If that.
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Psychologists call it “projection.” If anyone should be embarrassed about content these days, it’s the BH.
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Dude, they were going to give you money to put something in your paper that would have gotten people talking and caused them to pick up your newspaper. Why wouldn’t you want that? You guys could probably use a bit of controversy up there. We have plenty of fun with it down here in Madison.
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11:53, what? It’s a school newspaper, they don’t have to play the “look at me, I’m an attention whore” game like the rest of the media.
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“Not printing an ad is a right we possess and does not infringe upon anyone’s freedom of press or speech. Paid advertising does not fall under the jurisdiction of free press and is guaranteed no protection in this regard.”
Freedom of the press certainly DOES include printing an ad as well as non-paid content. The first amendment protects one’s right to print or not print whatever one darn well feels like. It DOES NOT grant someone the right to a printing press or a microphone.
Free speech protects the right of individuals to say what they want by whatever means they earn. Forcing a newspaper to publish material - any material - it doesn’t want to would be an infringement on the NEWSPAPER’S freedom of speech.
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Yes. The Badger Herald should critique another newspaper for ignoring journalistic ethics while not doing the most cursory of research into the policies of that newspaper.