Coverage Critiques for April 3

Collective bargaining, FOIA’s and school paper censorship are among the news being covered throughout the Midwest this week.

Colorado continues its fight with journalism and journalism schools at both the University and high school level. While many in the academic sector have been anxiously awaiting the final report on the status of University of Colorado’s Journalism school, attention is shifting to Overland High School in Colorado where reports say the school principle is trying to shut down the school paper.

The kids at the school better get used to this now because attacks from administrators and outside sources never stop when covering the news.

Speaking about outside attacks, the FOIA assaults on professors continue in  Wisconsin and have expanded to Michigan. Professors in Michigan must learn not to talk about Rachel Maddow in their e-mails. Unfortunately, this saga presents a dilemma. On one hand, journalists regularly use FOIA as means of gaining some information and more than a few of those requests are fishing expeditions because the journalist things something might be there. It’s part of the process of bringing news to the public and keeping those in power transparent. One of the best examples of this comes from a political cartoon found here. At the same time, academic freedom is important for academics and losing that freedom from conservatives using intimidation and bullying is definitely not right.

Most of this argument comes over how governors are treating unions and the Milwaukee Journal Star about Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Democrats and union leaders are gearing up though and the 2012 elections may be a public forum on whether these governors have overreached.

Finally, Sharia Law is still in the news in the Midwest, but the Washington Post may have come up with the best article on subject.