Court upholds press protection

The highest goal of any journalist is to fairly and accurately report the events and opinions of his or her community. Student journalist Capri Coffer was working toward this objective at Kentucky State University in 1993, publishing KSU's student yearbook. \nBut the university confiscated all 2,000 copies of the yearbook, costing the student body $9,000 in mandatory yearbook fees. The yearbooks remained hidden on the KSU campus for years as Coffer and fellow student Charles Kincaid fought a lengthy legal battle with the administration.\nCoffer's hard work was challenged by members of the KSU administration, who claimed the yearbook portrayed the university in a negative light. They said Coffer's inclusion of community and world events detracted from adequate coverage of university events. \nThe case was settled Friday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that KSU administrators violated the First Amendment when they seized the publication. \nThe landmark ruling of Kincaid v. Gibson is an important victory not only for Coffer and the KSU student body, but for college journalists across the nation. Student publications are vital to every university, not only because they provide information to the campus and the community, but because they act as the student voice. They reflect not only campus events, but the mood and mindset of the student body. To stop the distribution of a student publication is to silence the student voice. \nCoffer undertook an enormous task by completing the yearbook alone when her peers lost interest in the project. The KSU administration did not assist or monitor her progress in any way, showing interest only when it failed to adequately promote the school in their eyes.\nThe events and sentiments of a college student body will not always be pretty. But just because such events might not be appealing in the eyes of an administration does not mean that they are not true. \nThe IDS relies on revenue from advertisements to produce the paper and is completely independent from the University. While staff members, as students, are proud of IU and want it to be viewed in a positive light, our duty is to report the facts and let the readers form their own opinions. We gather information about a wide range of topics from a wide range of sources. Sometimes, the University is praised for positive actions. Sometimes, its actions are questioned. But the IDS strives to serve the student body well by keeping it informed.\nAlone, Coffer struggled to put together what she felt was a reflection of the events and feelings of her classmates. Friday's decision is an encouraging example that, while history might not be appealing, students have every right to document and distribute it.\nThe Associated Press contributed information to this editorial.