No access to varsity sports for Quad News
HAMDEN – In the latest twist in the ongoing battle between Quinnipiac University administrators and student journalists, university officials have restricted the editorial content of an independent online student newspaper by denying reporters access to all varsity coaches, staff and athletes, the News learned Wednesday.
In an e-mail provided to the News by a Quad News editor, Quinnipiac Director of Athletic Communications Chuck Menke wrote to the newspaper’s staff last week that the school, “won’t be able to make any student-athletes, coaches or staff available for interviews”...
As QU Alumni, I cringed for four years anytime I heard that Yale wrote another story about us, but this is one time that I would love to see some more Yale coverage of the garbage that goes on 10 minutes to the north. We need the outside world to realize what the QU administration does to keep its facade of perfection.
So, how would it be any different if any normal citizen were to go up to players/coaches after the game and talk to them, then post quotes and a story on their own personal blog? The only reason it is an issue is because the people writing the stories are the ones who "walked out" on good ol' QU. This is simple an atrocity and a violation of constitutional rights. It is unfathomable that these administrators can even do something like this in the first place; this issue should be taken to a higher authority, and even to court if the wrongs are not righted. The Quad News is an excellent source for up-to-date information, as The Chronicle has always been sparse and belated on many time-sensitive issues, if even reporting on them at all, due to their lack of being able to print in a timely fashion. A college newspaper should be almost entirely student-run, with a bit of help from an adviser, just so everything runs smoothly; the adviser and/or any other administrators should have little to no say in what is printed. Positive or negative, news is news, and good journalism is about the truth, not selective news.
The whole thing is a joke. For a school that touts their journalism program, this situation is simply unacceptable. The school has put a BUSINESS student in charge of the Chronicle. Just simply pathetic. Hopefully the administration opens their eyes and realizes this hurts the school's journalism program. They've dealt with this like children.