The Ethical Question: When A News Outlet Reports on Other News Outlets

    As the founder of The Cardinal Independent (which does not endorse my personal blog in any capacity), I've found myself into a tough position: Reporting about other news outlets.

    Following the firing of Ball State University's Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy, Suzanne Swierc, I've created a dedicated email account for Ball State students and staff to report what they perceive is censorship, so The CI could investigate it.

    What I wasn't anticipating was emails alleging censorship from within Ball State's university-managed student media.

    It started with one, however, after the firing of Jeffrey Dreyer from The Ball State Daily News, that number has grown to six at the time of publication. 

    The CI mentioned Dreyer's firing, as well as The Daily's reasoning, in that article, titled "Why Are Students, Professors and Community Members Protesting at Ball State?," explaining not just that protests are happening on campus, but why they are. Like every story I cover, I simply want to present all the facts as they stand and let my readers take that as they will.

    On October 9, there was a protest in support of Palestine at Shafer Tower. The protest was part of the Indiana United Against Genocide, a statewide coalition. I was waiting for my Uber home when a protester asked me if I've heard about it, which I didn't. I canceled my ride about four minutes later when I saw university representatives putting up signs outlining the expressive activities policy, taking a video of the scene.

    While, with some exceptions, student media stayed back from the protesters, my personal reporting style is active, up-close and direct. I could be seen in NewsLink Indiana (NLI)'s video with protesters because I was recording nat sound on an iPhone 12 in my pocket. 

    My iPhone, in addition to a tripod, set of lavalier mics, and a handheld voice recorder (all in which I didn't have on my person), is my makeshift media kit.

    NLI spoke with Jackson Franklin, who is running for congress in Indiana's 5th district, but the questions weren't about the protest, Palestine, the coalition or national politics--they were about his opinions on student media.

    "[NLI] were wondering about Ball State journalism and how that relates to students, and how it related," Franklin told me in my coverage for The CI. "And I'm just like, 'Hey! I'm a politician, I'm running for congress, ask a student in this that goes to this campus, more so, about their relation to the Ball State journalism.'"

     I can only report what I've seen and heard, and all I've seen and heard were the protesters speaking out against the attacks on Palestinians and Ball State's investments, and university-managed student media asking for the protesters opinions on student media.

    It wasn't until a few protesters asked why they weren't reporting on certain matters, in addition to me asking about their questions, that a reporter yelled for those critical of student media to be interviewed.

    So I, representing The Cardinal Independent, spoke for 11 minutes, outlining lapses in coverage I've noticed, as well as concerns of censorship I've been emailed about. 

    I asked someone to hold my phone, ensuring the whole interview was recorded. I posted the raw video on YouTube, transcribed it for The CI, and broadcasted the audio on CI Radio at 8:00 p.m. that night.

    Given the questions NLI and student media were asking, I directly mentioned the protest that was happening right behind me in my critique.

    "If you see something--if you see protesters in the background right here, you should be focusing your story about the protest," I said. "The story you're reporting on should not be about 'Are students upset at student media?,' because, honestly, personally, I am, giving the framing and coverage of this situation right now."

    At the end of the interview, I thanked them, saying, "I respect what all y'all are doing, I just wish that you had the freedom to say everything."

    And that's my personal truth: I respect the journalists involved with student media. My goal wasn't to critique a journalist or crew, rather, jarring issues I've noticed, including the framing of the story happening right then.

    Sometime between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. that day, NLI posted this video on their Facebook page, incorrectly noting the demonstration as a "Student Media Protest" in the lower third. 

    "And, earlier today, Ball State students protested student media," a reporter said. "Hear what they have to say."

    It wasn't until the newscast at 9:00 p.m., which had technical difficulties that cut audio from both the introduction and the package, that NLI clarified the protest was in regards to Palestine, not student media.

    So, given NLI's framing and The CI's reach, I felt the obligation to issue a correction as soon as possible. That correction came as a post titled "Not A 'Student Media Protest:' Ball State's NewsLink Indiana Mislabels Protest for Palestine."

    I couldn't think of another factual way to put it it. 

    I spent at least two hours revising that headline. 

    I didn't sleep that night.  

    Notably, at the time of publication, there's no published digital article from student media about the October 9 protest.

    There was another protest on October 10 at the Peace Plaza at 3:00 p.m. (albeit The CI was unable to cover it due to equipment). I was working from 3:00 p.m. to around 3:35 p.m. From then to 4:38 p.m. when I went home, no one from student media showed up. When I asked protesters if, while I was at work, student media was there, everyone said no.

    On October 10, before going to work, I filed an Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA) request to find out how much student media is receiving in funding from Ball State University. While Dreyer stated the amount was a third of their budget (specifically $115,000), I wanted to obtain clear numbers and a means of contact with whomever is responsible.

   I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I have respect for student journalists, I have concerns about how not all perspectives are being presented in student media, I'm not the only one with these concerns, and The CI is investigating as neutrally as it possibly can...while, in itself, serving its role as a news outlet.

    I don't see The CI as a competitor. The goal of The CI, and what should be the goal of any independent press, is to provide a voice to the community.

    However, I'm facing a moral dilemma: Am I inadvertently causing any harm to student media? The goal for my coverage is to hold accountability, not to "one-up" them, so to speak. I feel as if, recently, there's been more coverage about student media than other matters. Then again, this is a big matter. I'm treading carefully, rereading before I post, because if it crosses the line, even inadvertently, they could very well sue me or The CI...which, legally, is me.

    Unless there's another major problem, until I get a response back for the APRA request, I'm putting a pause on stories regarding student media. I'm still accepting and reading emails with concerns, but I'll get to it at a later time.

    Currently, I need to prioritize numerous obligations relating to The CI and it's ventures, namely, reading and responding to The CI's volunteer applications, form written guidelines and guardrails to ensure the consistent CI my readers know and trust, explore ways to make The CI self-sustainable without breaking its integrity, and promoting and dealing with logistics for The Muncie Independent News Initiative (MINI). 

    That, in addition to my academic work and my mental health, is paramount. It is my hope that, by expanding The CI with a volunteer staff, more news can be served without a mental cost.

    As always, anyone with an op-ed can send it to newsroom@CIMuncie.org, and students and professors with expression concerns can email BSUExpressionConcerns@CIMuncie.org. Everything is still being read as usual!

    While different newsrooms have their own policies when it comes to reporting about other outlets, as a truly independent news source, I wield the metaphorical double-edge sword of defining those policies. Even if I'm unable to fill a volunteer staff team, I'm still writing policies.

    Because even the founder of a publication should be held accountable if they mess up.