Media School Dean David Tolchinsky announced the members of its new Task Force on Editorial Independence and Sustainability of the Indiana Daily Student, IU Student Television and WIUX on Wednesday.
The task force will be “charged with developing recommendations on the intersection of editorial and business operations as IU’s student media organizations progress toward financial sustainability,” according to the news release.
IU faculty, staff, alumni and student leaders of the IDS, WIUX and IUSTV will serve on the task force.
The co-chairs are Elaine Monaghan, IU professor and director of the journalism program, and Raju Narisetti, IU alumnus, partner and global leader of McKinsey Publishing and Dean’s Council for Student Media member.
IDS Co-Editors-in-Chief Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller were selected for the task force. IUSTV Executive Director and Producer Laynie Pitts and WIUX Station Manager Johnathan Gustin were also appointed.
Tolchinsky added Ruth Witmer, IU student media newsroom adviser, to the task force Thursday.
Other task force members are:
- Michael Arnold, IU executive director of integrated public media and interim director of student media
- Beth Cate, IU clinical associate professor of law and public affairs
- Joseph Coleman, IU journalism professor
- Anthony Fargo, IU journalism associate professor
- Thomas French, IU Riley Endowed Chair in Journalism, journalism professor
- Michael J. Hayes, IU alumnus, Hearst Television president, Dean’s Council for Student Media member
- Brendan Healey, partner at media law firm Baron Harris Healey
- Katie Higgins, IU Media School assistant dean of finance
- Gerould Kern, IU alumnus, former Chicago Tribune senior vice president and editor, Dean’s Council for Student Media member
- Kristen Desmond Lefevre, IU alumna, Jupiter Magazine and Stuart Magazine editor-in-chief, Media School Alumni Board member
- Katie Mettler, IU alumna, The Washington Post reporter
- Curt Simic, IU Foundation president emeritus
Tolchinsky first announced the task force Oct. 20 after he fired Director of Student Media Jim Rodenbush on Oct. 14. Rodenbush refused to follow administration’s orders instructing him to forbid news coverage from the Oct. 16 Homecoming special publication.
In an editorial published Oct. 14, Miller and Hilkowitz called the Media School’s orders “unlawful censorship.” Following Rodenbush’s firing, Tolchinsky cut IDS print publication entirely.
IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold wrote a letter to IDS editors Oct. 30 saying he had authorized the financial office to allow the IDS to use its budget “as the editors see fit” through June 30, 2026, allowing the IDS to continue its originally-planned print editions for the rest of the school year. The next edition is set to print Nov. 20.
According to the Nov. 5 release, in the Spring 2026 semester the task force will deliver recommendations on editorial and business operations to “safeguard the long-term sustainability, educational mission, journalistic integrity, and credibility” for IU student media.
UPDATE: This story was updated to include Ruth Witmer’s addition to the task force.
