Author: Roy Malone

Student paper at Webster University faces cuts

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by Roy Malone

The longtime student newspaper at Webster University, the Journal, was facing an uncertain future this spring as the administration’s budget axe was about to swing. The weekly Journal, reporting on its own chances of survival, said its 30 issues a year might be cut to four or five in the 2015 budget, and the number of student staffers receiving pay could be cut from 10 to two. Some students and faculty believe the administration is upset over controversial stories the Journal has done, and one way of putting a clamp on the upstart newspaper is through the budget. But this is disputed by Webster’s public relations spokesman, Patrick Giblin.

The Rev. Biondi: Still swinging away

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by Roy Malone

BY ROY MALONE / The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, as outgoing president of St. Louis University, used his last monthly newsletter to take a final swing at a professor he’s battled for more than two decades. The two-page rant, against Avis Meyer, was near the end of Biondi’s long missive to faculty, staff, students and others. But it was longer than any of the other subjects he discussed during his 25-year tenure as head of the Jesuit university.

Outgoing SLU president takes parting shot at adversary

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by Roy Malone

BY ROY MALONE / The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, outgoing president of St. Louis University, used his last monthly newsletter to take one last swing at a professor he’s battled for more than two decades.The two-page rant against Avis Meyer was the near the end of his long missive to faculty, staff, students and others, but it was longer than any of the other subjects he extolled about during his tenure as head of the Jesuit university. Meyer has outlasted Biondi’s attempts to dislodge him as unofficial adviser to the student newspaper, the U. News. Meyer has been ordered never to set foot in the newspaper’s office. But the student journalists respect Meyer and meet separately with him to get his editing advice for each issue. Meyer says Biondi blames him for any articles he sees as critical of him or the university.

Anonymous commenters, tell us your real names

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by Roy Malone

Can anyone post anonymous comments to a website that is privately owned but operates publicly? When media companies provide a platform for online comments, usually at the end of news stories, can anonymous ones be barred when they are racist, hateful, vile, disgusting or uncivilized? The answer to both questions is yes. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that anonymous speech is protected by the First Amendment from government interference. But website owners can delete anonymous comments as they see fit. And they generally cannot be held liable for the content of third-party postings. But media companies are trying to identify and curb the small number of so-called online “trolls”’ who seem addicted to attacking anyone – the writers, authority figures and even each other on the same website. These trolls hide behind their anonymity and avoid taking responsibility for what they say.