Following the rulings in the Tribune Company’s bankruptcy case can be mind-boggling. The latest ruling, one that could eventually help Sam Zell, was reported on today in the Chicago Tribune. Take a look at this story.
Only half of the students in my media ethics class showed up on Thursday (Nov. 3) because the Faculty Association at SIU Carbondale is on strike. But the students who came were eager to discuss the ethics and legality of the university’s decision overnight to delete comments about the strike from the university Facebook page.
By deleting the comments, the university had unwittingly ventured onto new, uncertain ground and might have violated the First Amendment, legal experts say.
Even as the university was coming to last-minute agreement with three of four unions late Wednesday and early Thursday, it was removing critical comments from a Facebook page that had been open to student, faculty and alumni comments. Some of the postings contained foul language and clearly could legally be removed. Others argued the pros and cons of the labor dispute. One message, repeatedly deleted, said, “Please settle.”
This story is another reason why it’s important for media and citizens to have the right to videotape and record police. This could have been illegal in the state of Illinois although a number of recent rulings are cutting into Illinois’ strict eavesdropping laws. Read Bill Freivogel’s piece on Illinois eavesdropping laws here.
“I think the stunt you pulled by printing what you did was offensive, judgemental, and ill willed. You should not be proud of printing something as cruel and disgusting as the column you printed. You should be ashamed! I hope your Halloween is as crappy as your column.’’ Sarah Penner
“I totally agree with this week’s editorial in the Times!!! Halloween isn’t for teenagers to get candy and cause trouble. They should stay home. Elementary and younger are the ones who should be out with their parents.’’ Cindy Gallagher
Those are just a sample of some of the online responses appearing in the past few days in Waterville, N.Y. They were aimed at a recent editorial in community weekly newspaper, the Waterville Times. The paper’s editor and publisher, Pat Louise had reminded readers in her editorial that Halloween is for children, and that good manners are expected. But her suggestion that trick-or-treaters and their parents behave politely and not be greedy turned into a social media bashing of both the paper and Louise.
The University of Kentucky’s media relations department keeps making the news. This time the department banned a Lexington Herald-Leader reporter for changing the wording of a question in a question/answer session with an athlete. The Herald-Leader admitted to its mistake and corrected it but that wasn’t enough to keep the reporter from being banned. Earlier this fall, the media relations group banned a sports reporter from the student newspaper for interviewing an athlete without the media relations’ permission. This drew the wrath of numerous journalism groups. Sports information members should take the same approach referees take for a basketball or football game, or umpires for a baseball game — life is much better when you aren’t noticed. Someone needs to point this fact out to the Kentucky media relations group. Read the Kentucky Kernel’s story here.