CMA: NATIONAL CONFERENCE NEW YORK, NY MARCH 2012

DR. RICHARD GANAHL BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY, PA

2 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• APRIL FOOLS’: THE PRANK

• ADMIN: PULL THE PLUG!

• BUnow: GET SITE BACK UP!

• COMMUNITY: RU KIDDING?!?

• FUTURE: WHAT’S AHEAD?

3 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

4 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

“PURE PLAY/STAND-ALONE”

BU NOW: MISSION

* Student Organization

* Indie Blog & Website

* Co-op & Con-verge

* Student Moderated

* Multiple Platforms

* Pics, Audio, Video

BU NOW: TRAFFIC

* 187,808 visitors

* 125+ visiting countries

* 434,243 page views

* 127,738 unique visitors

•  over 18,567 video views

•  35-55 student staff

5 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

Lock Haven shutting down. Students

to be transferred to Bloomsburg.

•  ‘story’ breaks first thing in morning •  ‘story’ featured as BN headline story •  advisors discuss exit plan w/ editors •  traffic builds quickly throughout day •  ‘story’ goes viral as FB LIKES spiral •  advisor meets tech-vp in rec center

6 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

•  BN student-editor tracks shut-down •  BN advisors initiate talks w/ vp-tech •  spoofed-school considers ‘action’ •  vp-tech initiates talks with pres •  BN advisors told will take weekend •  BN advisors contact Frank @ SPLC!

BUnow is ‘shut down’ at @ 3.55 pm Friday

‘1\SPLCSTuDENT PRESS LAw CENTER

April 1, 2011

David Stanwick, Editor-in-Chief, BUNowBloomsburg UniversityBloomsburg, PA 17815VIA FACSIMILE

Dear David,

Thank you for letting us know about today’s shutdown of the BUNow newswebsite. As we understand the situation, your online news site carried a conspicuouslyidentified April Fool’s story that poked fun at a neighboring institution, LockhavenUniversity. Lockhaven responded by demanding that the BUNow website be completelydeactivated, and your administration complied, resulting in a complete denial of accessto the site for readers and staff.

Shutting down a student-run news website at a public university is a very severemeasure, and it can be justified — if ever — only by the most extreme necessity. The factsthat you have provided furnish no lawful basis for the university’s action, andaccordingly, it appears that a serious violation of the students’ First Amendment rightshas occurred and is ongoing.

At a public university, student journalists have extensive First Amendmentprotection that applies across all mediums, including the online medium. Whilespoofing Lockhaven may have been annoying to its administrators, there appears to benothing even arguably illegal about the story, based on your description of it. As theSupreme Court has affirmed, a public institution may not use its funding authority topenalize a student organization such as RUNow based on the content of its lawfulexpression. Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors of Univ. of Va., 515 U.S. 819 (1995). As theFourth Circuit U.S. Court ofAppeals ruled in a censorship case involving a collegepublication, “Censorship of constitutionally-protected expression cannot be imposed ata college or university by suspending editors, suppressing circulation, requiringimprimatur of controversial articles, excising repugnant material, withdrawing financialsupport, or asserting any other form of censorial oversight based on the institution’spower of the purse.” 477 F,d 456, 460 (4th Cir. 1973) (emphasisadded).

Even in the ver unlikely event that the single Lockhaven story could have beendeemed to be constitutionally unprotected speech, the university had less FirstAmendment-intrusive efforts to achieve the same objective, such as asking that theeditors pull down the single offending story. The appropriate course of action when acomplaint is received about content in the student media is to refer the complaint to thestudent editors. I am certain that, had the proper procedures been followed, you and

1101 Wilson Blvd.. Suite 1100 I Arlington, VA 222022 11 I 703SU7 I ‘04 sn1cBsnLore I WW\\ DicOre

7 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

•  ‘shutting down a website is a very severe measure’ •  ‘the university’s response…denied readers access’ •  ‘Besides being illegal, this…damag(es) reputations’ •  ‘has potential to ‘go viral’…make the subject of ridicule’ •  ‘the SPLC has a relationship with pro-bono…counsel’ •  ‘We will also be pleased to publicize this episode’

“student journalists have extensive First

Amendment protection…across all mediums”

8 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

‘It was meant as an April

Fools’ joke…there were

plenty of signs it was a

prank.’ ‘it w

as a blatant joke to

highlight the severity of

the 50% budget cuts

scheduled to affect

education’

9 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

BUnow is ‘live again’ @ 6.58 pm Friday

•  vp-tech ‘turns BUnow on’ •  BUnow editors add disclaimers •  disclaimers not a ‘quid pro quo’ •  advisors & provost design protocol •  BUnow launches as .com in Fall

IMS Proposal v1Revised 3/2/12

Mass Comm Teaching SpacesIMS Professional Sta! O"cesIMS Student Sta! Work Area‘Public’ Reception AreaGeneral Use Computers (Student Teachers, Business Students, etc.)Video Equipment StorageBuilding Consultant/ResComp Work Area & StorageVacated Spaces: 1146 - Communication Studies Research Laboratory 1247 and 1247A - o"ces available for faculty 1226 - o"ce available for faculty 1231 - hallway and storage area available for building mail room, etc.

UP

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10 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

“The proposed media hub will also serve as a convergence and information

exchange point for the various media on the BU campus, which include

WBUQ, BUTV, The Voice, and BUNow. Equipment and software will be

installed to allow the hub to access information from the various campus

media outlets for distribution to and use by each other. Such an exchange

will allow for efficient sharing of news resources on campus that can

enhance the overall image of the department, the college, and Bloomsburg

University as a whole.” Submitted 3.9.2012

A $129,948 ‘Emerging Media Hub’ Was Recently Proposed

With OUT the Knowledge or Input of Campus Media

11 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

•  watch topics: rape is NO NO!

•  no hurtful, demeaning stereotypes

•  prank institutions, NOT people

•  sure you can say it, but should you?

•  have an ‘exit’ or ‘make it right’ plan

•  be .com…avoid class assg & servers

•  keep open door w/ admin & staff

•  have SPLC contact info close at hand

Courtesy of Student Press Law Center

12 APRIL FOOLS': BEFRIEND THE 1ST AMENDMENT!

Engage!

www.BUnow.com

Student Press Law Center