The sovereignty of student run newspapers came into question a couple weeks ago when a student sports journalist was banned by Texas Christian University from broadcasting his weekly video series on the Mountain West Conference’s television network, The Mtn.
On a weekly edition of “Campus Cam” (which next to nobody watches anyway) TCU senior Brian Smith criticized starting quarterback Andy Dalton, saying he can “manage a game and he can play not to lose, but I don’t really think he’s the kind of guy who can win you a game.”
Shortly thereafter, TCU athletics media relations director Mark Cohen told Smith that the athletics department no longer would support his show. Said Cohen in an e-mail to The Mtn., which was provided to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, “My office will not take time out of its busy schedule to assist in putting TCU students on the air for them to make negative comments about our student-athletes.”
A quick disclaimer: Smith reportedly had been to only one of the Horned Frogs’ spring practices, and therefore was not smart to talk about the football team anyways. Also, Smith was using the department’s video equipment to shoot the program, which gave Cohen the right to stop production – whether it was fair or not.
With that being said, I want to emphasize the healthy relationship between the SMU athletics department and The Daily Campus.
Everything you read in the sports section is uncensored by the athletics department and written without apologies to any of our subjects. We’ve published both good and bad news, and we will continue to do so.
On another note, I want to applaud the SMU athletics department for the awesome work that they have done in supporting SMU’s student journalists, while also respecting their boundaries.
Sports information directors Brad Sutton, Herman Hudson, Erin McMillan and Steve Lansdale certainly have made my job easier in the last year because of their timely press releases and willingness to put us in touch with sources.
When an SMU road game finished, they were quick to release the results and would happily allow us to talk to coaches and players. (Just like any publication, we must go through the athletics department before speaking to a player or coach.)
Hudson, in particular, was very helpful in our coverage of men’s basketball. He constantly would be feeding the media statistics in the postgame press conference, which we often used in our stories and wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
I began working for The Daily Campus in the spring 2008, and I am moving on to other avenues in my career next year. However, I know the sports editor next semester will continue to preserve our independence and exercise our First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and continue to expect unbiased coverage from not only sports, but also the other sections of the paper.
Chris Dell
– Sports Editor
