Loyola University Chicago: “Media Relations Policy” Restricts Student Journalists’ Access to Faculty and Staff Sources

In 2018, Loyola University Chicago instituted a “Media Relations Policy” in order to further its “brand” — ostensibly as an institution that stands for freedom of inquiry. That policy required faculty and staff to obtain public relations staff approval for any “statements” to the media, expressly including the student newspaper. That frustrated student journalists’ efforts to report on issues impacting the university, including police “stop-and-frisk” detentions, tuition increases, and women in STEM programs. FIRE and PEN America wrote to the university in February 2019, calling on university leadership to rescind the policy. In response, Loyola revised the policy to better protect student and faculty rights.