‘Hosty’ Opinion Criticized in the ‘Village Voice’

Check out “Whitewash U,” an article by John Guifo about the recent, disastrous opinion in Hosty v. Carter in yesterday’s Village Voice:

Imagine for a moment that you are a university administrator in charge of maintaining your school's public image, when one day you are given the power to control the content of your college’s newspaper. Not only are you given editorial control, mind you, but prior review editorial control. Don't like that shrill exposé of cafeteria health violations? Best to take that one out before the issue goes to print. Has a colleague been identified in the paper as having improper photos on his office computer? That would be embarrassing—take it out too.

Well, university administrators, dream no more. That power is yours, thanks to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

FIRE will shortly be issuing a detailed statement explaining why we condemn the Hosty decision and how the opinion will chill speech far beyond the student newsroom. We are also looking for groups that are interested in joining our coalition to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the opinion. Please contact us if you would like to join FIRE and the Student Press Law Center in fighting this terrible decision.