A Free Press at Quinnipiac: ‘The Quad News’ to Begin Printing

An online-only newspaper for nearly four years, Quinnipiac University (QU)'s The Quad News has begun printing physical copies as of today. 

The Quad News was created in 2008 in response to the QU administration cracking down on press freedom within the established student newspaper, The Quinnipiac Chronicle. At the time, the QU administration prohibited The Quinnipiac Chronicle from posting its articles online before they had been printed, citing concerns about wanting to review the content "before the external world hears about it."

The dispute escalated, resulting in the QU administration hand-picking Chronicle staffers. In response, the then-editorial staff abandoned the Chronicle to found an online-only paper, The Quad News. QU was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not receptive to the new news outlet, threatening to expel from campus any organizations who chose to associate with The Quad News—specifically the QU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. (See our 2008 letter to QU President John Lahey here, and our longer chronicling of the dispute here for more information.)

Based on the QU administration's attitude toward The Quad News in 2008, today's print launch may incite some type of response. We at FIRE hope that response is positive, and we salute The Quad News contributors for exercising their right to free speech.